Girls and boys who are out of school in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Girls and boys who are out of school was 2.33 million girls in 2024. ▼ Falling
Girls and boys who are out of school in Ethiopia, 1987–2024
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 Ethiopia is 2.33 million girls, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and up 30.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, girls and boys who are out of school in Ethiopia peaked at 3.73 million girls in 1999 and was at its lowest, 1.20 million girls, in 2017.
That places Ethiopia 4th out of 180 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
Girls and boys who are out of school in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | girls | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 2.55 million girls | — |
| 1988 | 2.63 million girls | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 2.73 million girls | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 3.48 million girls | +27.6% |
| 1995 | 3.56 million girls | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 3.60 million girls | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 3.69 million girls | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 3.73 million girls | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 3.69 million girls | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 3.60 million girls | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 3.62 million girls | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 3.70 million girls | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 3.59 million girls | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 2.98 million girls | -17.1% |
| 2006 | 2.69 million girls | -9.8% |
| 2007 | 2.37 million girls | -11.8% |
| 2008 | 2.01 million girls | -15.0% |
| 2009 | 2.04 million girls | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 2.26 million girls | +10.5% |
| 2011 | 2.36 million girls | +4.7% |
| 2012 | 2.02 million girls | -14.5% |
| 2014 | 1.78 million girls | -11.7% |
| 2015 | 1.93 million girls | +8.0% |
| 2017 | 1.20 million girls | -37.8% |
| 2021 | 2.58 million girls | +114.7% |
| 2022 | 2.47 million girls | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 2.41 million girls | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 2.33 million girls | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.64 million girls | 2.55 million girls | 2.73 million girls | 3 |
| 1990s | 3.61 million girls | 3.48 million girls | 3.73 million girls | 5 |
| 2000s | 3.03 million girls | 2.01 million girls | 3.70 million girls | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.93 million girls | 1.20 million girls | 2.36 million girls | 6 |
| 2020s | 2.45 million girls | 2.33 million girls | 2.58 million girls | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More education data for Ethiopia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 272,545 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 900,151 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.16 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.03 million (2015)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.93 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1206 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is girls and boys who are out of school in Ethiopia?
- Girls and boys who are out of school in Ethiopia was 2.33 million girls in 2024, 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.73 million girls in 1999.
- What is the lowest girls and boys who are out of school recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.20 million girls in 2017.
- How does Ethiopia rank for girls and boys who are out of school?
- Ethiopia ranks 4th out of 180 countries with data for 2024.
- Is girls and boys who are out of school rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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 — 28 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.