Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia
SDG: Southern Asia: Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes was 18.01 million in 2025. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia, 2000–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
SDG: Southern Asia recorded 18.01 million for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 24.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia peaked at 54.95 million in 2000 and was at its lowest, 18.01 million, in 2025.
That places SDG: Southern Asia 14th out of 39 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 54.95 million | — |
| 2001 | 51.95 million | -5.5% |
| 2002 | 49.37 million | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 47.16 million | -4.5% |
| 2004 | 44.91 million | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 42.83 million | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 40.67 million | -5.0% |
| 2007 | 38.09 million | -6.3% |
| 2008 | 35.70 million | -6.3% |
| 2009 | 33.57 million | -6.0% |
| 2010 | 31.21 million | -7.0% |
| 2011 | 29.18 million | -6.5% |
| 2012 | 27.63 million | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 26.25 million | -5.0% |
| 2014 | 24.88 million | -5.2% |
| 2015 | 23.74 million | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 22.58 million | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 21.47 million | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 20.58 million | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 19.92 million | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 19.36 million | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 18.88 million | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 19.00 million | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 18.65 million | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 18.31 million | -1.8% |
| 2025 | 18.01 million | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 43.92 million | 33.57 million | 54.95 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.74 million | 19.92 million | 31.21 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.70 million | 18.01 million | 19.36 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Southern Asia
- 11 Burkina Faso 1.36 million compare
- 12 Mali 1.19 million compare
- 13 United States 965,853 compare
- 14 Bangladesh 918,575 compare
- 15 Chad 855,041 compare
- 16 Somalia 803,231
- 17 Senegal 675,615 compare
More education data for SDG: Southern Asia
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 7.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.70 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 88.16 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.205 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 94.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 54.48 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 28.18 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia?
- Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia was 18.01 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 54.95 million in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.01 million in 2025.
- How does SDG: Southern Asia rank for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes?
- SDG: Southern Asia ranks 14th out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Southern Asia 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 — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release