Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia
SDG: Southern Asia: Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes was 15.93 million in 2025. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia, 2000–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia is 15.93 million, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia peaked at 38.27 million in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15.82 million, in 2021.
SDG: Southern Asia ranks 14th of 39 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 38.27 million | — |
| 2001 | 36.39 million | -4.9% |
| 2002 | 33.82 million | -7.1% |
| 2003 | 30.93 million | -8.5% |
| 2004 | 28.34 million | -8.4% |
| 2005 | 26.44 million | -6.7% |
| 2006 | 25.24 million | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 24.30 million | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 23.02 million | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 21.82 million | -5.2% |
| 2010 | 21.09 million | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 20.62 million | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 19.90 million | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 18.81 million | -5.5% |
| 2014 | 17.89 million | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 17.35 million | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 17.15 million | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 16.78 million | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 16.53 million | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 16.25 million | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 15.96 million | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 15.82 million | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 16.40 million | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 16.36 million | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 16.20 million | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 15.93 million | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.86 million | 21.82 million | 38.27 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.24 million | 16.25 million | 21.09 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.11 million | 15.82 million | 16.40 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Southern Asia
More education data for SDG: Southern Asia
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 7.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.70 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 88.16 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.205 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 94.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 54.48 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 28.18 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia?
- Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia was 15.93 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 38.27 million in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.82 million in 2021.
- How does SDG: Southern Asia rank for out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes?
- SDG: Southern Asia ranks 14th out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Southern Asia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release