Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Bhutan
Bhutan: Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary was 12.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Bhutan, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Bhutan stood at 12.1%. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
That represents a change of down 9.6% on the previous year and down 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Bhutan peaked at 49.8% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 12.1%, in 2024.
Bhutan ranks 63rd of 178 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 children, adolescents and youth of primary in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 49.8% | — |
| 1999 | 48.1% | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 46.1% | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 44.5% | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 35.7% | -19.8% |
| 2006 | 32.2% | -9.8% |
| 2008 | 25.8% | -19.8% |
| 2009 | 22.7% | -12.1% |
| 2010 | 19.2% | -15.3% |
| 2011 | 17.4% | -9.4% |
| 2012 | 14.9% | -14.3% |
| 2013 | 16.2% | +9.0% |
| 2015 | 14.6% | -9.9% |
| 2016 | 15.4% | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 15.6% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 14.4% | -7.7% |
| 2021 | 15.4% | +6.7% |
| 2022 | 12.9% | -16.6% |
| 2023 | 13.4% | +4.3% |
| 2024 | 12.1% | -9.6% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 12.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.8%, 82% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 12.1% is below the median for South Asia, which is 12.2%, 100% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 48.9% | 48.1% | 49.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 34.5% | 22.7% | 46.1% | 6 |
| 2010s | 16.0% | 14.4% | 19.2% | 8 |
| 2020s | 13.5% | 12.1% | 15.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 60 Marshall Islands 12.4% compare
- 61 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 12.4% compare
- 62 Sri Lanka 12.2% compare
- 64 Brunei Darussalam 12.1% compare
- 65 Tajikistan 12.0% compare
- 66 Ukraine 11.9% compare
More education data for Bhutan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6,995 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 9,961 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,905 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6,735 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 67,821 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91,759 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1159 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Bhutan?
- Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Bhutan was 12.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 49.8% in 1998.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.1% in 2024.
- How does Bhutan rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
- Bhutan ranks 63rd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). 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