Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bhutan
Bhutan: Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes was 8,385 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bhutan, 1978–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Bhutan recorded 8,385 for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.5% on the previous year and down 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bhutan peaked at 48,452 in 1979 and was at its lowest, 4,954, in 2020.
That places Bhutan 118th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, 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 of primary school age, both sexes in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 48,268 | — |
| 1979 | 48,452 | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 46,719 | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 46,441 | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 44,897 | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 42,948 | -4.3% |
| 2005 | 30,881 | -28.1% |
| 2006 | 24,984 | -19.1% |
| 2008 | 17,016 | -31.9% |
| 2009 | 11,692 | -31.3% |
| 2010 | 9,292 | -20.5% |
| 2011 | 8,703 | -6.3% |
| 2012 | 7,446 | -14.4% |
| 2013 | 8,923 | +19.8% |
| 2015 | 10,446 | +17.1% |
| 2016 | 10,929 | +4.6% |
| 2017 | 11,055 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 8,759 | -20.8% |
| 2020 | 4,954 | -43.4% |
| 2021 | 14,142 | +185.5% |
| 2022 | 8,653 | -38.8% |
| 2023 | 9,805 | +13.3% |
| 2024 | 8,385 | -14.5% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 8,385 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 76,741, 11% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 8,385 is below the median for South Asia, which is 78,056, 11% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bhutan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +185.5% | 4,954 | 14,142 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 48,360 | 48,268 | 48,452 | 2 |
| 1990s | 46,580 | 46,441 | 46,719 | 2 |
| 2000s | 28,736 | 11,692 | 44,897 | 6 |
| 2010s | 9,444 | 7,446 | 11,055 | 8 |
| 2020s | 9,188 | 4,954 | 14,142 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More education data for Bhutan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6,995 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 9,961 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,905 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6,735 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 67,821 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91,759 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1159 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bhutan?
- Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Bhutan was 8,385 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 48,452 in 1979.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,954 in 2020.
- How does Bhutan rank for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Bhutan ranks 118th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release