Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Guatemala
Guatemala: Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary was 28.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Guatemala, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Guatemala is 28.2%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Guatemala peaked at 36.9% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 2010.
That places Guatemala 26th out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 36.9% | — |
| 2000 | 34.9% | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 34.1% | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 31.7% | -7.0% |
| 2008 | 23.9% | -24.5% |
| 2009 | 20.8% | -13.0% |
| 2010 | 19.5% | -6.7% |
| 2011 | 21.2% | +9.0% |
| 2012 | 23.1% | +9.0% |
| 2013 | 24.5% | +6.2% |
| 2014 | 25.7% | +4.7% |
| 2015 | 26.0% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 27.4% | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 27.5% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 26.9% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 34.1% | +26.5% |
| 2020 | 28.5% | -16.4% |
| 2021 | 28.8% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 29.5% | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 28.9% | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 28.2% | -2.5% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 28.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.8%, 3.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 28.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 10.6%, 2.7× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36.9% | 36.9% | 36.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 29.1% | 20.8% | 34.9% | 5 |
| 2010s | 25.6% | 19.5% | 34.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.8% | 28.2% | 29.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 23 Madagascar 30.1% compare
- 24 Comoros 29.2% compare
- 25 Cameroon 28.9% compare
- 27 British Virgin Islands 28.0% compare
- 28 San Marino 28.0% compare
- 29 Micronesia, Federated States of 27.1% compare
More education data for Guatemala
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 122,548 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 247,917 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 335,306 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 328,468 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.42 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.3948 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1317 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Guatemala?
- Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Guatemala was 28.2% 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 Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 36.9% in 1999.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 2010.
- How does Guatemala rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
- Guatemala ranks 26th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guatemala 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release