Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in Singapore
Singapore: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) was 238,816 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
238,816
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
135th
of 218 countries
All-time high
363,518
in 1970
All-time low
232,810
in 2020
Years of data
38
1970–2023
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Singapore, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Singapore is 238,816, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Singapore peaked at 363,518 in 1970 and was at its lowest, 232,810, in 2020.
That places Singapore 135th out of 218 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in Singapore, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 363,518 | — |
| 1971 | 357,936 | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 354,748 | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 345,284 | -2.7% |
| 1974 | 337,816 | -2.2% |
| 1975 | 328,401 | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 316,265 | -3.7% |
| 1977 | 306,349 | -3.1% |
| 1978 | 297,102 | -3.0% |
| 1979 | 290,859 | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 291,722 | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 285,179 | -2.2% |
| 1982 | 286,780 | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 290,800 | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 288,623 | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 278,060 | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 268,820 | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 261,603 | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 259,270 | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 257,833 | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 257,932 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 260,286 | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 262,599 | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 261,534 | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 251,097 | -4.0% |
| 1995 | 261,648 | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 269,668 | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 301,101 | +11.7% |
| 2008 | 299,704 | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 294,602 | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 236,943 | -19.6% |
| 2017 | 234,653 | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 233,553 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 234,947 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 232,810 | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 234,240 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 235,516 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 238,816 | +1.4% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 238,816 is above the median for high income countries, which is 236,668, 1.0× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 238,816 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 227,656, 1.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 329,828 | 290,859 | 363,518 | 10 |
| 1980s | 276,869 | 257,833 | 291,722 | 10 |
| 1990s | 260,681 | 251,097 | 269,668 | 7 |
| 2000s | 298,469 | 294,602 | 301,101 | 3 |
| 2010s | 235,024 | 233,553 | 236,943 | 4 |
| 2020s | 235,346 | 232,810 | 238,816 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More education data for Singapore
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13,601 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 336 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9,429 (1989)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8,429 (1989)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 163,746 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 238,816 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0404 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Singapore?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Singapore was 238,816 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 363,518 in 1970.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 232,810 in 2020.
- How does Singapore rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Singapore ranks 135th out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Singapore 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release