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 5.9% 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 5.9%. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
The figure is down 15.8% on the previous year and down 42.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Bhutan peaked at 53.5% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2024.
That places Bhutan 105th out of 171 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 | 53.5% | — |
| 1999 | 51.4% | -4.0% |
| 2000 | 48.6% | -5.4% |
| 2001 | 46.0% | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 34.4% | -25.3% |
| 2006 | 30.4% | -11.7% |
| 2008 | 22.6% | -25.7% |
| 2009 | 17.9% | -20.7% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | -24.7% |
| 2011 | 11.2% | -16.6% |
| 2012 | 8.6% | -23.8% |
| 2013 | 10.2% | +19.1% |
| 2015 | 9.1% | -10.9% |
| 2016 | 9.9% | +9.2% |
| 2017 | 10.4% | +4.3% |
| 2018 | 9.0% | -12.7% |
| 2021 | 9.3% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 6.3% | -32.3% |
| 2023 | 7.0% | +11.4% |
| 2024 | 5.9% | -15.8% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 5.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.1%, 33% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 5.9% is below the median for South Asia, which is 13.5%, 43% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 52.4% | 51.4% | 53.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 33.3% | 17.9% | 48.6% | 6 |
| 2010s | 10.2% | 8.6% | 13.5% | 8 |
| 2020s | 7.1% | 5.9% | 9.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
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 5.9% 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 53.5% 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 5.9% in 2024.
- How does Bhutan rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
- Bhutan ranks 105th out of 171 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 42.4%. 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, female (%). 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