Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in India
India: Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary was 5.88 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
5.88 million
Change on year
down 10.5%
World rank
1st
of 170 countries
All-time high
7.41 million
in 2020
All-time low
4.31 million
in 2022
Years of data
6
2013–2024
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in India, 2013–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
India recorded 5.88 million for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in 2024.
The figure is down 10.5% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in India peaked at 7.41 million in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.31 million, in 2022.
India ranks 1st of 170 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 6.29 million | — |
| 2020 | 7.41 million | +17.9% |
| 2021 | 5.74 million | -22.6% |
| 2022 | 4.31 million | -25.0% |
| 2023 | 6.57 million | +52.7% |
| 2024 | 5.88 million | -10.5% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 5.88 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 122,542, 48.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- India's 5.88 million is above the median for South Asia, which is 138,377, 42.5× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6.29 million | 6.29 million | 6.29 million | 1 |
| 2020s | 5.98 million | 4.31 million | 7.41 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in India?
- Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in India was 5.88 million 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 7.41 million in 2020.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.31 million in 2022.
- How does India rank for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary?
- India ranks 1st out of 170 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release