Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Guatemala
Guatemala: Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region was 201,342 children in 2024. ▼ Falling
Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Guatemala, 1997–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in children.
Analysis
In 2024, primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Guatemala stood at 201,342 children.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Guatemala peaked at 514,521 children in 1997 and was at its lowest, 55,265 children, in 2011.
That places Guatemala 37th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | children | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 514,521 children | — |
| 1999 | 328,599 children | -36.1% |
| 2000 | 292,825 children | -10.9% |
| 2001 | 318,378 children | +8.7% |
| 2002 | 256,938 children | -19.3% |
| 2004 | 168,707 children | -34.3% |
| 2005 | 141,789 children | -16.0% |
| 2006 | 114,237 children | -19.4% |
| 2007 | 92,775 children | -18.8% |
| 2008 | 88,802 children | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 55,265 children | -37.8% |
| 2012 | 117,926 children | +113.4% |
| 2013 | 170,353 children | +44.5% |
| 2014 | 218,977 children | +28.5% |
| 2015 | 233,950 children | +6.8% |
| 2016 | 260,599 children | +11.4% |
| 2017 | 245,390 children | -5.8% |
| 2018 | 221,556 children | -9.7% |
| 2019 | 227,941 children | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 226,098 children | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 198,635 children | -12.1% |
| 2022 | 198,772 children | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 197,954 children | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 201,342 children | +1.7% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 201,342 children is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 21,241 children, 9.5× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 201,342 children is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 17,362 children, 11.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Guatemala 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +113.4% | 55,265 children | 117,926 children |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 421,560 children | 328,599 children | 514,521 children | 2 |
| 2000s | 184,306 children | 88,802 children | 318,378 children | 8 |
| 2010s | 194,662 children | 55,265 children | 260,599 children | 9 |
| 2020s | 204,560 children | 197,954 children | 226,098 children | 5 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More education data for Guatemala
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 122,548 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 247,917 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 335,306 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 328,468 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.42 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.3948 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1317 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Guatemala?
- Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Guatemala was 201,342 children in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 514,521 children in 1997.
- What is the lowest primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 55,265 children in 2011.
- How does Guatemala rank for primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region?
- Guatemala ranks 37th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guatemala data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Children in the official primary school age range who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary education.