Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Least Developed Countries
SDG: Least Developed Countries: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 35.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Least Developed Countries, 2000–2025
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 SDG: Least Developed Countries is 35.0%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Least Developed Countries peaked at 48.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 32.6%, in 2014.
That places SDG: Least Developed Countries 4th out of 39 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Least Developed Countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 48.3% | — |
| 2001 | 47.4% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 46.3% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 45.0% | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 43.3% | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 41.5% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 39.8% | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 38.6% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 37.3% | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 36.1% | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 35.1% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 34.4% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 33.6% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 33.0% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 32.6% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 32.6% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 33.2% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 33.8% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 34.2% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 34.4% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 34.7% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 34.8% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 35.6% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 35.5% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 35.3% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 35.0% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 42.4% | 36.1% | 48.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.7% | 32.6% | 35.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.1% | 34.7% | 35.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Least Developed Countries
- 1 Niger 79.7% compare
- 2 Algeria 77.6% compare
- 3 Cape Verde 66.3% compare
- 4 Senegal 63.9% compare
- 5 Tokelau 61.6% compare
- 6 Central African Republic 60.1% compare
- 7 Burkina Faso 59.3% compare
More education data for SDG: Least Developed Countries
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 75.92 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 36.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 11.66 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.684 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 11.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7503 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.9918 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Least Developed Countries was 35.0% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 48.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.6% in 2014.
- How does SDG: Least Developed Countries rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 4th out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Least Developed Countries 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release