Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Canada

Canada: Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry was 27,280 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
27,280
Change on year
down 4.8%
World rank
62nd
of 180 countries
All-time high
35,111
in 2021
All-time low
12,781
in 2018
Years of data
6
2018–2023

Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Canada, 2018–2023

010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k2018202020232018: 12.8k2019: 15.6k2020: 17.4k2021: 35.1k2022: 28.7k2023: 27.3k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

Canada recorded 27,280 for out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in 2023.

That represents a change of down 4.8% on the previous year and up 113.4% over ten years.

Canada ranks 62nd of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry age, both sexes (number) in Canada, 2018 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2018 12,781
2019 15,607 +22.1%
2020 17,409 +11.5%
2021 35,111 +101.7%
2022 28,666 -18.4%
2023 27,280 -4.8%

Canada compared with similar countries

  • Canada's 27,280 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,726, 15.8× the median. (70 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 14,194 12,781 15,607 2
2020s 27,116 17,409 35,111 4

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 59 Lesotho 38,695
  2. 60 Kuwait 34,309
  3. 61 Paraguay 34,172 compare
  4. 63 Gambia 27,263 compare
  5. 64 Chile 25,974 compare
  6. 65 Türkiye 25,802 compare

See the full ranking of 180 places →

More education data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Canada?
Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Canada was 27,280 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 35,111 in 2021.
What is the lowest out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 12,781 in 2018.
How does Canada rank for out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry?
Canada ranks 62nd out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
Is out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 113.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-children-one-year-before-the-official-primary-entry-age-both-sexes-number/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school children, one year before the official primary entry age, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
180 places, 2,926 data points, 1998–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release