Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Guatemala
Guatemala: Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower was 16.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
16.5%
Change on year
down 9.7%
World rank
33rd
of 169 countries
All-time high
61.0%
in 1972
All-time low
10.7%
in 2011
Years of data
22
1972–2024
Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Guatemala, 1972–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Guatemala recorded 16.5% for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in 2024.
That represents a change of down 9.7% on the previous year and down 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Guatemala peaked at 61.0% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 10.7%, in 2011.
That places Guatemala 33rd out of 169 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
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 Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 61.0% | — |
| 1974 | 59.3% | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 58.3% | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 30.6% | -47.5% |
| 2000 | 27.7% | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 26.8% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 24.1% | -10.0% |
| 2008 | 14.2% | -41.0% |
| 2011 | 10.7% | -24.9% |
| 2012 | 13.9% | +29.6% |
| 2013 | 15.5% | +11.6% |
| 2014 | 16.8% | +8.8% |
| 2015 | 17.4% | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 19.1% | +10.1% |
| 2017 | 19.2% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 18.2% | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 20.2% | +11.1% |
| 2020 | 18.7% | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 17.8% | -4.9% |
| 2022 | 18.6% | +4.9% |
| 2023 | 18.3% | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 16.5% | -9.7% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 16.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 2.8× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 16.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 7.3%, 2.2× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 59.6% | 58.3% | 61.0% | 3 |
| 1990s | 30.6% | 30.6% | 30.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 23.2% | 14.2% | 27.7% | 4 |
| 2010s | 16.8% | 10.7% | 20.2% | 9 |
| 2020s | 18.0% | 16.5% | 18.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 30 Côte d'Ivoire 19.1% compare
- 31 Madagascar 16.5% compare
- 32 Mauritania 16.5% compare
- 34 Romania 16.1% compare
- 35 El Salvador 16.0% compare
- 36 Bahamas 15.8% 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 and adolescents of primary and lower in Guatemala?
- Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Guatemala was 16.5% 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 Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 61.0% in 1972.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.7% in 2011.
- How does Guatemala rank for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower?
- Guatemala ranks 33rd out of 169 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release