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 68,526 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Canada, 2012–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Canada stood at 68,526. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.6% on the previous year and up 974.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Canada peaked at 68,526 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3,778, in 2012.
That places Canada 59th out of 170 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 3,778 | — |
| 2013 | 6,376 | +68.8% |
| 2014 | 6,239 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 24,142 | +287.0% |
| 2017 | 22,259 | -7.8% |
| 2018 | 19,240 | -13.6% |
| 2019 | 34,795 | +80.8% |
| 2020 | 37,082 | +6.6% |
| 2021 | 56,443 | +52.2% |
| 2022 | 62,546 | +10.8% |
| 2023 | 68,526 | +9.6% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 68,526 is above the median for high income countries, which is 3,166, 21.6× the median. (64 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 16,690 | 3,778 | 34,795 | 7 |
| 2020s | 56,149 | 37,082 | 68,526 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More education data for Canada
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 133,275 (1996)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2011)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 291,075 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 273,465 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.70 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0607 units per person (2023)
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 68,526 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 68,526 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 3,778 in 2012.
- How does Canada rank for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary?
- Canada ranks 59th out of 170 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 974.7%. 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, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release