Girls and boys who are out of school in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Girls and boys who are out of school was 189,119 girls in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Girls and boys who are out of school in Bangladesh, 1970–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in girls.
Analysis
In 2018, girls and boys who are out of school in Bangladesh stood at 189,119 girls.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 246.9% on the previous year and down 82.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, girls and boys who are out of school in Bangladesh peaked at 3.98 million girls in 1987 and was at its lowest, 54,511 girls, in 2017.
That places Bangladesh 30th out of 180 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 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 Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | girls | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.27 million girls | — |
| 1973 | 2.66 million girls | -18.7% |
| 1976 | 2.72 million girls | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 2.76 million girls | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 2.94 million girls | +6.4% |
| 1981 | 3.29 million girls | +11.9% |
| 1983 | 3.76 million girls | +14.3% |
| 1984 | 3.61 million girls | -4.0% |
| 1985 | 3.76 million girls | +4.4% |
| 1986 | 3.86 million girls | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 3.98 million girls | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 3.10 million girls | -22.1% |
| 1989 | 3.16 million girls | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 2.94 million girls | -6.8% |
| 2005 | 384,392 girls | -86.9% |
| 2006 | 414,833 girls | +7.9% |
| 2008 | 1.08 million girls | +159.4% |
| 2009 | 838,631 girls | -22.1% |
| 2010 | 993,602 girls | +18.5% |
| 2017 | 54,511 girls | -94.5% |
| 2018 | 189,119 girls | +246.9% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 189,119 girls is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 55,174 girls, 3.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 189,119 girls is above the median for South Asia, which is 45,986 girls, 4.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Girls and boys who are out of school in Bangladesh changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +246.9% | 54,511 girls | 189,119 girls |
| 2008 | +159.4% | 414,833 girls | 1.08 million girls |
| 2017 | -94.5% | 993,602 girls | 54,511 girls |
| 2005 | -86.9% | 2.94 million girls | 384,392 girls |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.87 million girls | 2.66 million girls | 3.27 million girls | 5 |
| 1980s | 3.56 million girls | 3.10 million girls | 3.98 million girls | 8 |
| 1990s | 2.94 million girls | 2.94 million girls | 2.94 million girls | 1 |
| 2000s | 678,439 girls | 384,392 girls | 1.08 million girls | 4 |
| 2010s | 412,411 girls | 54,511 girls | 993,602 girls | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is girls and boys who are out of school in Bangladesh?
- Girls and boys who are out of school in Bangladesh was 189,119 girls in 2018, 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 Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 3.98 million girls in 1987.
- What is the lowest girls and boys who are out of school recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 54,511 girls in 2017.
- How does Bangladesh rank for girls and boys who are out of school?
- Bangladesh ranks 30th out of 180 countries with data for 2018.
- Is girls and boys who are out of school rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 82.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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 — 21 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.