Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes was 918,575 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bangladesh, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bangladesh stood at 918,575.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.3% on the previous year and up 71.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bangladesh peaked at 6.67 million in 1987 and was at its lowest, 536,211, in 2017.
That places Bangladesh 14th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5.06 million | — |
| 1973 | 3.26 million | -35.5% |
| 1976 | 2.92 million | -10.6% |
| 1977 | 3.61 million | +23.7% |
| 1978 | 3.96 million | +9.7% |
| 1981 | 5.21 million | +31.6% |
| 1983 | 5.74 million | +10.1% |
| 1984 | 5.96 million | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 6.26 million | +4.9% |
| 1986 | 6.45 million | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 6.67 million | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 5.33 million | -20.2% |
| 1989 | 5.46 million | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 5.16 million | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 1.15 million | -77.7% |
| 2006 | 1.29 million | +12.3% |
| 2008 | 2.32 million | +79.7% |
| 2009 | 2.31 million | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 2.28 million | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 536,211 | -76.5% |
| 2018 | 543,149 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 1.16 million | +113.6% |
| 2023 | 1.09 million | -6.5% |
| 2024 | 918,575 | -15.3% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 918,575 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 76,741, 12.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 918,575 is above the median for South Asia, which is 78,056, 11.8× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bangladesh changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +113.6% | 543,149 | 1.16 million |
| 2005 | -77.7% | 5.16 million | 1.15 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.76 million | 2.92 million | 5.06 million | 5 |
| 1980s | 5.89 million | 5.21 million | 6.67 million | 8 |
| 1990s | 5.16 million | 5.16 million | 5.16 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.77 million | 1.15 million | 2.32 million | 4 |
| 2010s | 1.12 million | 536,211 | 2.28 million | 3 |
| 2020s | 1.05 million | 918,575 | 1.16 million | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bangladesh?
- Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bangladesh was 918,575 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 6.67 million in 1987.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 536,211 in 2017.
- How does Bangladesh rank for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Bangladesh ranks 14th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 71.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release