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

Canada: Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary was 143,743 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
143,743
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
57th
of 181 countries
All-time high
143,743
in 2023
All-time low
10,451
in 2015
Years of data
12
2012–2023

Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Canada, 2012–2023

050.0k100.0k150.0k2012201720232012: 11.8k2013: 13.7k2014: 11.0k2015: 10.5k2016: 35.9k2017: 33.7k2018: 35.9k2019: 75.0k2020: 87.4k2021: 129.7k2022: 141.1k2023: 143.7k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

Canada recorded 143,743 for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in 2023. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 952.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Canada peaked at 143,743 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10,451, in 2015.

Canada ranks 57th 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 Canada, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, both sexes (number) in Canada, 2012 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2012 11,781
2013 13,662 +16.0%
2014 10,974 -19.7%
2015 10,451 -4.8%
2016 35,855 +243.1%
2017 33,663 -6.1%
2018 35,892 +6.6%
2019 74,998 +109.0%
2020 87,411 +16.6%
2021 129,694 +48.4%
2022 141,098 +8.8%
2023 143,743 +1.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 28,410 10,451 74,998 8
2020s 125,486 87,411 143,743 4

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 54 El Salvador 174,596 compare
  2. 55 Lesotho 173,345 compare
  3. 56 Paraguay 162,400 compare
  4. 58 Nicaragua 119,524 compare
  5. 59 Kuwait 117,127 compare
  6. 60 Dominican Republic 112,195 compare

See the full ranking of 181 places →

More education data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Canada?
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Canada was 143,743 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 143,743 in 2023.
What is the lowest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 10,451 in 2015.
How does Canada rank for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary?
Canada ranks 57th out of 181 countries with data for 2023.
Is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 952.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada 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 Canada. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-children-and-adolescents-of-primary-and-lower-secondary-school-age-both-2/canada/

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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