Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Australia

Australia: Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary was 27,640 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
27,640
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
96th
of 181 countries
All-time high
53,229
in 2011
All-time low
654
in 2016
Years of data
14
2011–2024

Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Australia, 2011–2024

020.0k40.0k60.0k2011201720242011: 53.2k2012: 45.4k2013: 1.8k2014: 1.7k2015: 1.1k2016: 6542017: 1.8k2018: 6.8k2019: 8.8k2020: 20.3k2021: 21.4k2022: 28.2k2023: 29.2k2024: 27.6k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

Australia recorded 27,640 for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in 2024.

The figure is down 5.2% on the previous year and up 1,554.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Australia peaked at 53,229 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 654, in 2016.

Australia ranks 96th of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (number) in Australia, 2011 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2011 53,229
2012 45,446 -14.6%
2013 1,752 -96.1%
2014 1,671 -4.6%
2015 1,100 -34.2%
2016 654 -40.5%
2017 1,824 +178.9%
2018 6,781 +271.8%
2019 8,822 +30.1%
2020 20,266 +129.7%
2021 21,417 +5.7%
2022 28,239 +31.9%
2023 29,166 +3.3%
2024 27,640 -5.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 13,475 654 53,229 9
2020s 25,346 20,266 29,166 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 93 Guyana 29,627 compare
  2. 94 Peru 28,936 compare
  3. 95 Suriname 28,163 compare
  4. 97 Saudi Arabia 27,470 compare
  5. 98 Bulgaria 27,381 compare
  6. 99 Germany 26,985 compare

See the full ranking of 181 places →

More education data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Australia?
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Australia was 27,640 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 53,229 in 2011.
What is the lowest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 654 in 2016.
How does Australia rank for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary?
Australia ranks 96th out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
Is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 1,554.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-children-and-adolescents-of-primary-and-lower-secondary-school-age-both-2/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
181 places, 3,186 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release