Girls and boys who are out of school in Eswatini
Eswatini: Girls and boys who are out of school was 4,410 girls in 2022. ▼ Falling
Girls and boys who are out of school in Eswatini, 1970–2022
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 Eswatini is 4,410 girls, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 38 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 52.9% on the previous year and down 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, girls and boys who are out of school in Eswatini peaked at 27,536 girls in 1996 and was at its lowest, 4,410 girls, in 2022.
Eswatini ranks 115th of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Girls and boys who are out of school in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | girls | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 19,005 girls | — |
| 1971 | 19,326 girls | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 18,574 girls | -3.9% |
| 1973 | 17,257 girls | -7.1% |
| 1974 | 16,566 girls | -4.0% |
| 1975 | 15,388 girls | -7.1% |
| 1976 | 15,059 girls | -2.1% |
| 1977 | 14,700 girls | -2.4% |
| 1978 | 14,777 girls | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 14,692 girls | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 13,365 girls | -9.0% |
| 1982 | 14,748 girls | +10.3% |
| 1983 | 16,151 girls | +9.5% |
| 1984 | 17,340 girls | +7.4% |
| 1985 | 17,099 girls | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 19,056 girls | +11.4% |
| 1987 | 19,293 girls | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 20,781 girls | +7.7% |
| 1989 | 21,925 girls | +5.5% |
| 1990 | 21,588 girls | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 22,737 girls | +5.3% |
| 1992 | 23,357 girls | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 25,865 girls | +10.7% |
| 1994 | 25,675 girls | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 24,626 girls | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 27,536 girls | +11.8% |
| 2009 | 20,301 girls | -26.3% |
| 2010 | 13,738 girls | -32.3% |
| 2011 | 10,616 girls | -22.7% |
| 2012 | 13,246 girls | +24.8% |
| 2013 | 14,840 girls | +12.0% |
| 2014 | 12,583 girls | -15.2% |
| 2015 | 12,259 girls | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 11,397 girls | -7.0% |
| 2017 | 11,547 girls | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 10,732 girls | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 9,364 girls | -12.7% |
| 2022 | 4,410 girls | -52.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16,534 girls | 14,692 girls | 19,326 girls | 10 |
| 1980s | 17,751 girls | 13,365 girls | 21,925 girls | 9 |
| 1990s | 24,483 girls | 21,588 girls | 27,536 girls | 7 |
| 2000s | 20,301 girls | 20,301 girls | 20,301 girls | 1 |
| 2010s | 12,032 girls | 9,364 girls | 14,840 girls | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,410 girls | 4,410 girls | 4,410 girls | 1 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
- 112 New Zealand 4,845 girls compare
- 113 Saudi Arabia 4,633 girls compare
- 114 Jamaica 4,604 girls compare
- 116 Timor-Leste 4,375 girls compare
- 117 Trinidad and Tobago 3,926 girls compare
- 118 Armenia 3,891 girls compare
More education data for Eswatini
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7,225 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,165 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 12,768 (2015)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 11,269 (2015)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 108,288 (2016)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 222,351 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.236 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1807 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is girls and boys who are out of school in Eswatini?
- Girls and boys who are out of school in Eswatini was 4,410 girls in 2022, 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 Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 27,536 girls in 1996.
- What is the lowest girls and boys who are out of school recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,410 girls in 2022.
- How does Eswatini rank for girls and boys who are out of school?
- Eswatini ranks 115th out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is girls and boys who are out of school rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eswatini 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
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About this data
Girls in the official primary school age range who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary education.