Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Jamaica
Jamaica: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 20.7% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Jamaica, 1976–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Jamaica is 20.7%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 6.8% on the previous year and up 35.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Jamaica peaked at 20.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1977.
That places Jamaica 43rd out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 8.7% | — |
| 1977 | 0.6% | -93.1% |
| 1981 | 1.9% | +222.0% |
| 1983 | 1.8% | -7.2% |
| 1984 | 1.5% | -18.2% |
| 1985 | 0.9% | -41.5% |
| 1986 | 3.2% | +269.7% |
| 1999 | 12.2% | +286.7% |
| 2000 | 15.8% | +29.3% |
| 2001 | 16.3% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 14.7% | -9.7% |
| 2003 | 14.3% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 9.7% | -32.7% |
| 2005 | 11.6% | +20.1% |
| 2013 | 15.3% | +31.9% |
| 2014 | 13.1% | -14.4% |
| 2015 | 13.9% | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 13.1% | -5.8% |
| 2017 | 19.5% | +48.9% |
| 2018 | 17.7% | -9.3% |
| 2019 | 17.8% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 20.7% | +16.5% |
| 2022 | 19.4% | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 20.7% | +6.8% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 20.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7.5%, 2.8× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 20.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 7.7%, 2.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Jamaica 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +286.7% | 3.2% | 12.2% |
| 1986 | +269.7% | 0.9% | 3.2% |
| 1981 | +222.0% | 0.6% | 1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.6% | 0.6% | 8.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 1.8% | 0.9% | 3.2% | 5 |
| 1990s | 12.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 13.7% | 9.7% | 16.3% | 6 |
| 2010s | 15.8% | 13.1% | 19.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 20.2% | 19.4% | 20.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 40 Micronesia, Federated States of 22.4% compare
- 41 Angola 21.9% compare
- 42 El Salvador 21.9% compare
- 44 Panama 20.4% compare
- 45 Malaysia 18.0% compare
- 46 British Virgin Islands 17.9% 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 of lower secondary school age in Jamaica?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Jamaica was 20.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 20.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1977.
- How does Jamaica rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Jamaica ranks 43rd out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release