Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region was 53,289 children in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Papua New Guinea, 1989–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in children.
Analysis
In 2021, primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Papua New Guinea stood at 53,289 children.
That represents a change of up 28.6% on the previous year and down 84.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Papua New Guinea peaked at 384,354 children in 2014 and was at its lowest, 11,662 children, in 2018.
That places Papua New Guinea 68th out of 196 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | children | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 169,284 children | — |
| 2012 | 339,432 children | +100.5% |
| 2014 | 384,354 children | +13.2% |
| 2016 | 131,536 children | -65.8% |
| 2018 | 11,662 children | -91.1% |
| 2019 | 20,958 children | +79.7% |
| 2020 | 41,444 children | +97.7% |
| 2021 | 53,289 children | +28.6% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 53,289 children is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 79,507 children, 67% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 53,289 children is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4,225 children, 12.6× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 169,284 children | 169,284 children | 169,284 children | 1 |
| 2010s | 177,588 children | 11,662 children | 384,354 children | 5 |
| 2020s | 47,366 children | 41,444 children | 53,289 children | 2 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
More education data for Papua New Guinea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14,791 (2016)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 80,915 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 226,545 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 208,353 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 655,030 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.65 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 10.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1593 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Papua New Guinea?
- Primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region in Papua New Guinea was 53,289 children in 2021, 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 Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 384,354 children in 2014.
- What is the lowest primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,662 children in 2018.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 68th out of 196 countries with data for 2021.
- Is primary-school-age children who are out of school by world region rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 84.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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.
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About this data
Children in the official primary school age range who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary education.