Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in United States
United States: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) was 23.83 million in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
23.83 million
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
6th
of 218 countries
All-time high
25.12 million
in 2017
All-time low
23.52 million
in 2022
Years of data
10
2014–2023
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in United States, 2014–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in United States stood at 23.83 million.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in United States peaked at 25.12 million in 2017 and was at its lowest, 23.52 million, in 2022.
United States ranks 6th of 218 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 24.54 million | — |
| 2015 | 24.79 million | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 25.02 million | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 25.12 million | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 24.96 million | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 24.79 million | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 24.47 million | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 23.91 million | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 23.52 million | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 23.83 million | +1.3% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 23.83 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 236,668, 100.7× the median. (78 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 24.87 million | 24.54 million | 25.12 million | 6 |
| 2020s | 23.93 million | 23.52 million | 24.47 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More education data for United States
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.74 million (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 419,732 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4.34 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.14 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.35 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 23.83 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0708 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in United States?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in United States was 23.83 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 25.12 million in 2017.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.52 million in 2022.
- How does United States rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- United States ranks 6th out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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 — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release