Girls and boys who are out of school in Australia
Australia: Girls and boys who are out of school was 1,110 girls in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Girls and boys who are out of school in Australia, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in girls.
Analysis
The most recent figure for girls and boys who are out of school in Australia is 1,110 girls, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 46.7% on the previous year and down 93.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, girls and boys who are out of school in Australia peaked at 40,463 girls in 2000 and was at its lowest, 890 girls, in 2001.
That places Australia 144th out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Girls and boys who are out of school in Australia, year by year
| Year | girls | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 40,463 girls | — |
| 2001 | 890 girls | -97.8% |
| 2003 | 9,412 girls | +957.5% |
| 2004 | 6,988 girls | -25.8% |
| 2005 | 2,227 girls | -68.1% |
| 2006 | 1,847 girls | -17.1% |
| 2011 | 22,214 girls | +1102.7% |
| 2012 | 18,313 girls | -17.6% |
| 2018 | 1,206 girls | -93.4% |
| 2019 | 1,191 girls | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 5,074 girls | +326.0% |
| 2021 | 2,619 girls | -48.4% |
| 2022 | 2,081 girls | -20.5% |
| 2023 | 1,110 girls | -46.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10,304 girls | 890 girls | 40,463 girls | 6 |
| 2010s | 10,731 girls | 1,191 girls | 22,214 girls | 4 |
| 2020s | 2,721 girls | 1,110 girls | 5,074 girls | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More education data for Australia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 104,110 (1992)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 316,638 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 292,593 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.65 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4362 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0835 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is girls and boys who are out of school in Australia?
- Girls and boys who are out of school in Australia was 1,110 girls in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest girls and boys who are out of school recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 40,463 girls in 2000.
- What is the lowest girls and boys who are out of school recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 890 girls in 2001.
- How does Australia rank for girls and boys who are out of school?
- Australia ranks 144th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is girls and boys who are out of school rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 93.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Girls and boys who are out of school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Girls in the official primary school age range who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary education.