Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes was 3.45 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia, 1979–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia stood at 3.45 million. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.1% on the previous year and up 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia peaked at 3.45 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 797,785, in 1979.
Saudi Arabia ranks 46th of 218 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 797,785 | — |
| 2005 | 3.10 million | +288.3% |
| 2007 | 3.17 million | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 3.21 million | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 3.26 million | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 3.32 million | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 3.35 million | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 3.44 million | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 2.70 million | -21.5% |
| 2014 | 2.81 million | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 2.91 million | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 3.04 million | +4.7% |
| 2017 | 3.20 million | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 3.21 million | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 3.15 million | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 3.24 million | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 3.23 million | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 3.31 million | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 3.45 million | +4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 797,785 | 797,785 | 797,785 | 1 |
| 2000s | 3.18 million | 3.10 million | 3.26 million | 4 |
| 2010s | 3.11 million | 2.70 million | 3.44 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.31 million | 3.23 million | 3.45 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.45 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0976 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 3.45 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.0976 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.69 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia was 3.45 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.45 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 797,785 in 1979.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 46th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release