Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in World

World: Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes was 88.2% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
88.2%
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
2nd
of 2 groups
All-time high
89.2%
in 2016
All-time low
64.3%
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019

Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in World, 1970–2019

020406080197019942019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in World is 88.2%, measured in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in World peaked at 89.2% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 64.3%, in 1970.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.

Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in World, year by year

Annual values for Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes (%) in World, 1970 to 2019.
Year % Change
1970 64.3%
1971 65.9% +2.5%
1972 67.4% +2.3%
1973 69.5% +3.1%
1974 70.1% +0.9%
1975 71.0% +1.2%
1976 72.0% +1.5%
1977 72.1% +0.1%
1978 71.0% -1.5%
1979 71.7% +0.9%
1980 71.9% +0.3%
1981 71.7% -0.2%
1982 71.4% -0.5%
1983 71.3% -0.2%
1984 71.4% +0.3%
1985 70.9% -0.8%
1986 72.9% +2.9%
1987 72.9% +0.1%
1988 73.4% +0.7%
1989 73.6% +0.3%
1990 73.8% +0.2%
1991 74.2% +0.6%
1992 74.8% +0.8%
1993 75.7% +1.1%
1994 76.2% +0.7%
1995 76.9% +0.8%
1996 77.1% +0.3%
1997 77.1% -0.0%
1998 77.6% +0.7%
1999 77.6% +0.0%
2000 78.1% +0.6%
2001 78.4% +0.4%
2002 78.8% +0.5%
2003 79.8% +1.3%
2004 80.8% +1.2%
2005 81.5% +0.8%
2006 82.2% +0.9%
2007 83.6% +1.7%
2008 84.7% +1.4%
2009 85.2% +0.5%
2010 86.1% +1.0%
2011 86.9% +1.0%
2012 87.7% +0.9%
2013 88.4% +0.9%
2014 88.3% -0.1%
2015 88.3% -0.1%
2016 89.2% +1.0%
2017 88.9% -0.3%
2018 88.0% -1.0%
2019 88.2% +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 69.5% 64.3% 72.1% 10
1980s 72.1% 70.9% 73.6% 10
1990s 76.1% 73.8% 77.6% 10
2000s 81.3% 78.1% 85.2% 10
2010s 88.0% 86.1% 89.2% 10

Countries ranked near World

  1. 1 Sweden 139.5% compare
  2. 2 Belgium 129.0% compare
  3. 3 Costa Rica 127.6% compare
  4. 4 Finland 126.9% compare
  5. 5 Ireland 120.6% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for World

All data for World →

Frequently asked questions

What is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in World?
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in World was 88.2% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in World?
The highest recorded value was 89.2% in 2016.
What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in World?
The lowest recorded value was 64.3% in 1970.
How does World rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes?
World ranks 2nd out of 2 groups with data for 2019.
Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in World?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this World 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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Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in World. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/gross-enrolment-ratio-primary-and-secondary-both-sexes-percent/world/

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About this data

Indicator
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
242 places, 8,565 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

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.