Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary was 0.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Saudi Arabia, 1979–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Saudi Arabia stood at 0.5%. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
The figure is down 71.7% on the previous year and down 92.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Saudi Arabia peaked at 36.5% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2024.
That places Saudi Arabia 173rd out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
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 Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 36.5% | — |
| 2009 | 8.1% | -77.7% |
| 2013 | 10.5% | +28.7% |
| 2014 | 7.3% | -30.4% |
| 2015 | 4.3% | -40.7% |
| 2016 | 3.2% | -27.0% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | -30.2% |
| 2021 | 3.4% | +54.8% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | -43.4% |
| 2024 | 0.5% | -71.7% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 0.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 3.5%, 16% of the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 0.5% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9.0%, 6% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 36.5% | 36.5% | 36.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 8.1% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 6.3% | 3.2% | 10.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 0.5% | 3.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 242,375 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 26,900 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 215,559 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,840 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.45 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0976 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Saudi Arabia?
- Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Saudi Arabia was 0.5% 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 36.5% in 1979.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2024.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 173rd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 92.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release