Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Bhutan
Bhutan: Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower was 10.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Bhutan, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Bhutan is 10.3%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
That represents a change of down 8.7% on the previous year and down 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Bhutan peaked at 46.8% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 10.3%, in 2024.
Bhutan ranks 54th of 181 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 and adolescents of primary and lower in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 46.8% | — |
| 1999 | 45.3% | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 43.3% | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 41.0% | -5.4% |
| 2005 | 32.0% | -21.9% |
| 2006 | 28.0% | -12.4% |
| 2008 | 20.8% | -25.8% |
| 2009 | 17.6% | -15.5% |
| 2010 | 14.4% | -17.9% |
| 2011 | 12.7% | -11.6% |
| 2012 | 10.4% | -18.6% |
| 2013 | 11.9% | +14.8% |
| 2015 | 12.0% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 12.8% | +6.5% |
| 2017 | 13.2% | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 11.9% | -10.2% |
| 2021 | 14.9% | +25.2% |
| 2022 | 11.0% | -26.2% |
| 2023 | 11.3% | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 10.3% | -8.7% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 10.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9.0%, 1.1× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 10.3% is above the median for South Asia, which is 6.7%, 1.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 46.1% | 45.3% | 46.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 30.4% | 17.6% | 43.3% | 6 |
| 2010s | 12.4% | 10.4% | 14.4% | 8 |
| 2020s | 11.9% | 10.3% | 14.9% | 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 and adolescents of primary and lower in Bhutan?
- Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Bhutan was 10.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 46.8% in 1998.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.3% in 2024.
- How does Bhutan rank for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower?
- Bhutan ranks 54th out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.2%. 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 and adolescents of primary and lower 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