Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Jamaica
Jamaica: Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper was 20.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Jamaica, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Jamaica is 20.0%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.5% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Jamaica peaked at 25.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 16.2%, in 2016.
Jamaica ranks 62nd of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 20.6% | — |
| 2000 | 25.6% | +24.3% |
| 2001 | 25.4% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 23.4% | -7.7% |
| 2003 | 23.6% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 19.2% | -18.5% |
| 2005 | 20.5% | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 21.0% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 20.1% | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 20.8% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 16.2% | -22.2% |
| 2017 | 20.5% | +26.4% |
| 2018 | 20.1% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 20.5% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 23.5% | +14.6% |
| 2022 | 22.1% | -6.2% |
| 2023 | 20.0% | -9.5% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 20.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.9%, 1.3× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 20.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 17.4%, 1.1× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.6% | 20.6% | 20.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 23.0% | 19.2% | 25.6% | 6 |
| 2010s | 19.9% | 16.2% | 21.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 21.9% | 20.0% | 23.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 59 Brunei Darussalam 20.7% compare
- 60 British Virgin Islands 20.4% compare
- 61 Saint Lucia 20.3% compare
- 63 Rwanda 19.5% compare
- 64 Bahamas 19.3% compare
- 65 Botswana 19.2% 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 rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Jamaica?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Jamaica was 20.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 25.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.2% in 2016.
- How does Jamaica rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper?
- Jamaica ranks 62nd out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release