Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Colombia
Colombia: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 7.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Colombia, 2002–2023
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 Colombia is 7.3%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 19.7% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Colombia peaked at 18.8% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2010.
Colombia ranks 21st of 36 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 Colombia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 14.9% | — |
| 2003 | 18.8% | +26.2% |
| 2004 | 15.1% | -19.7% |
| 2005 | 5.2% | -65.2% |
| 2008 | 9.9% | +88.7% |
| 2009 | 9.2% | -7.1% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 2011 | 8.8% | — |
| 2012 | 9.8% | +11.4% |
| 2013 | 7.1% | -27.6% |
| 2014 | 5.8% | -18.3% |
| 2015 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 2016 | 5.8% | — |
| 2017 | 7.8% | +34.5% |
| 2018 | 6.6% | -15.4% |
| 2019 | 5.6% | -15.2% |
| 2020 | 4.5% | -19.6% |
| 2021 | 6.3% | +40.0% |
| 2022 | 6.1% | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 7.3% | +19.7% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 7.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.9%, 1.9× the median. (10 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 7.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 3.9%, 1.9× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.2% | 5.2% | 18.8% | 6 |
| 2010s | 5.7% | 0.0% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.0% | 4.5% | 7.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
- 18 Mexico 10.6% compare
- 19 Bangladesh 10.6% compare
- 20 Malawi 8.9% compare
- 22 Costa Rica 7.0% compare
- 23 El Salvador 6.8% compare
- 24 Ghana 5.1% compare
More education data for Colombia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 190,940 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 234,939 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 963,182 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 937,684 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.85 million (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.14 million (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.08 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Colombia?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Colombia was 7.3% 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 Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 18.8% in 2003.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2010.
- How does Colombia rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Colombia ranks 21st out of 36 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Colombia 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, rural, middle quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release