Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in Switzerland
Switzerland: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) was 556,945 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
556,945
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
107th
of 218 countries
All-time high
561,773
in 1974
All-time low
373,245
in 1987
Years of data
51
1973–2024
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Switzerland, 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Switzerland stood at 556,945.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Switzerland peaked at 561,773 in 1974 and was at its lowest, 373,245, in 1987.
That places Switzerland 107th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 557,856 | — |
| 1974 | 561,773 | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 561,645 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 556,885 | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 503,153 | -9.6% |
| 1978 | 502,337 | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 485,902 | -3.3% |
| 1980 | 468,531 | -3.6% |
| 1981 | 450,942 | -3.8% |
| 1982 | 434,288 | -3.7% |
| 1983 | 415,478 | -4.3% |
| 1984 | 398,931 | -4.0% |
| 1985 | 385,474 | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 376,512 | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 373,245 | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 375,302 | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 383,042 | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 394,061 | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 404,154 | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 414,129 | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 443,512 | +7.1% |
| 1994 | 447,240 | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 461,805 | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 477,643 | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 522,741 | +9.4% |
| 1999 | 529,610 | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 538,372 | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 537,744 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 536,423 | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 535,577 | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 532,092 | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 524,222 | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 517,056 | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 510,804 | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 505,382 | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 499,435 | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 492,508 | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 487,436 | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 483,466 | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 483,707 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 483,900 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 490,469 | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 498,338 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 507,686 | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 514,664 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 521,087 | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 527,955 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 533,258 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 538,543 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 549,595 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 556,945 | +1.3% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 556,945 is above the median for high income countries, which is 236,668, 2.4× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 556,945 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 432,238, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 532,793 | 485,902 | 561,773 | 7 |
| 1980s | 406,174 | 373,245 | 468,531 | 10 |
| 1990s | 454,988 | 394,061 | 529,610 | 9 |
| 2000s | 523,711 | 499,435 | 538,372 | 10 |
| 2010s | 496,326 | 483,466 | 521,087 | 10 |
| 2020s | 541,259 | 527,955 | 556,945 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More education data for Switzerland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 68,266 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 5,583 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 94,990 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 89,549 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 636,381 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 556,945 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0618 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Switzerland?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Switzerland was 556,945 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 561,773 in 1974.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 373,245 in 1987.
- How does Switzerland rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Switzerland ranks 107th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release