Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Jamaica
Jamaica: Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes was 9,419 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
9,419
Change on year
down 65.9%
World rank
111th
of 204 countries
All-time high
47,215
in 2003
All-time low
2,657
in 1975
Years of data
35
1975–2024
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Jamaica, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Jamaica stood at 9,419.
The figure is down 65.9% on the previous year and down 68.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Jamaica peaked at 47,215 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 2,657, in 1975.
That places Jamaica 111th 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 Jamaica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 2,657 | — |
| 1976 | 7,348 | +176.6% |
| 1977 | 8,865 | +20.6% |
| 1979 | 2,942 | -66.8% |
| 1980 | 5,110 | +73.7% |
| 1981 | 7,349 | +43.8% |
| 1983 | 4,882 | -33.6% |
| 1984 | 10,898 | +123.2% |
| 1985 | 15,878 | +45.7% |
| 1986 | 17,330 | +9.1% |
| 1987 | 13,953 | -19.5% |
| 1988 | 25,329 | +81.5% |
| 1989 | 13,758 | -45.7% |
| 1990 | 15,073 | +9.6% |
| 1991 | 18,871 | +25.2% |
| 1993 | 29,781 | +57.8% |
| 1999 | 41,735 | +40.1% |
| 2000 | 38,811 | -7.0% |
| 2001 | 39,941 | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 44,134 | +10.5% |
| 2003 | 47,215 | +7.0% |
| 2004 | 35,931 | -23.9% |
| 2005 | 35,282 | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 25,218 | -28.5% |
| 2014 | 30,276 | +20.1% |
| 2015 | 29,167 | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 30,166 | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 27,831 | -7.7% |
| 2018 | 26,687 | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 22,970 | -13.9% |
| 2020 | 30,434 | +32.5% |
| 2021 | 35,301 | +16.0% |
| 2022 | 15,425 | -56.3% |
| 2023 | 27,604 | +79.0% |
| 2024 | 9,419 | -65.9% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 9,419 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 21,296, 44% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 9,419 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 14,029, 67% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5,453 | 2,657 | 8,865 | 4 |
| 1980s | 12,721 | 4,882 | 25,329 | 9 |
| 1990s | 26,365 | 15,073 | 41,735 | 4 |
| 2000s | 40,219 | 35,282 | 47,215 | 6 |
| 2010s | 27,474 | 22,970 | 30,276 | 7 |
| 2020s | 23,637 | 9,419 | 35,301 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 108 Hungary 10,500 compare
- 109 New Zealand 10,396 compare
- 110 Ireland 10,313 compare
- 112 Togo 9,263 compare
- 113 Trinidad and Tobago 9,223 compare
- 114 Iran, Islamic Republic of 9,163 compare
More education data for Jamaica
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 11,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 4,597 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 52,983 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 51,265 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 177,095 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 211,097 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Jamaica?
- Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Jamaica was 9,419 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 47,215 in 2003.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,657 in 1975.
- How does Jamaica rank for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Jamaica ranks 111th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Jamaica 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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CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release