Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes was 76.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Least developed countries, 1970–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2019, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Least developed countries stood at 76.8%. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Least developed countries peaked at 76.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 33.2%, in 1971.
That places Least developed countries 37th out of 45 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 33.4% | — |
| 1971 | 33.2% | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 34.7% | +4.6% |
| 1973 | 36.4% | +4.9% |
| 1974 | 36.7% | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 38.1% | +3.8% |
| 1976 | 39.3% | +3.2% |
| 1977 | 40.3% | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 41.4% | +2.8% |
| 1979 | 42.5% | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 43.8% | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 44.3% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 44.8% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 45.4% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 45.2% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 44.1% | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 44.1% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 43.7% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 45.0% | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 44.7% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 44.0% | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 45.3% | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 45.7% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 46.3% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 47.3% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 48.8% | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 49.6% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 51.6% | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 52.5% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 52.8% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 54.3% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 56.0% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 59.1% | +5.5% |
| 2003 | 61.2% | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 62.8% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 64.3% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 66.2% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 67.8% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 69.7% | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 70.8% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 71.8% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 73.1% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 74.1% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 74.9% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 75.4% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 75.2% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 75.8% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 76.1% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 76.8% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 76.8% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 37.6% | 33.2% | 42.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 44.5% | 43.7% | 45.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 48.4% | 44.0% | 52.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 63.2% | 54.3% | 70.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.0% | 71.8% | 76.8% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
More education data for Least developed countries
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 171.01 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 75.92 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.04 % 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 0.1441 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 4.43 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 57.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 38.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Least developed countries?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Least developed countries was 76.8% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 76.8% in 2019.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.2% in 1971.
- How does Least developed countries rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Least developed countries ranks 37th out of 45 groups with data for 2019.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least developed countries data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total enrollment in primary and secondary education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the total population of official primary and secondary education age. GER can exceed 100% due to the inclusion of over-aged and under-aged students because of early or late school entrance and grade repetition.