Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Jamaica
Jamaica: Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower was 9.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Jamaica, 1976–2024
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 Jamaica is 9.9%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.5% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Jamaica peaked at 32.0% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1983.
Jamaica ranks 55th of 169 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 Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 2.9% | — |
| 1977 | 1.1% | -62.4% |
| 1981 | 1.1% | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | -67.0% |
| 1984 | 1.5% | +310.3% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | +68.8% |
| 1986 | 2.9% | +10.8% |
| 1999 | 11.2% | +290.1% |
| 2000 | 11.8% | +4.9% |
| 2001 | 12.5% | +5.8% |
| 2002 | 12.6% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 13.2% | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 10.0% | -24.0% |
| 2005 | 10.7% | +6.6% |
| 2013 | 10.4% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 10.6% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 8.4% | -20.7% |
| 2016 | 11.6% | +36.9% |
| 2017 | 13.0% | +12.5% |
| 2018 | 12.4% | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 11.9% | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 16.5% | +38.3% |
| 2022 | 32.0% | +94.6% |
| 2023 | 14.9% | -53.4% |
| 2024 | 9.9% | -33.5% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 9.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 1.7× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 9.9% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 7.3%, 1.4× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Jamaica changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | +310.3% | 0.4% | 1.5% |
| 1999 | +290.1% | 2.9% | 11.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.0% | 1.1% | 2.9% | 2 |
| 1980s | 1.7% | 0.4% | 2.9% | 5 |
| 1990s | 11.2% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 11.8% | 10.0% | 13.2% | 6 |
| 2010s | 11.2% | 8.4% | 13.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 18.3% | 9.9% | 32.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 52 Malawi 10.2% compare
- 53 Zimbabwe 10.1% compare
- 54 Macau, China 9.9% compare
- 56 Sao Tome and Principe 9.9% compare
- 57 Kiribati 9.3% compare
- 58 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 9.1% compare
More education data for Jamaica
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 11,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 4,597 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 52,983 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 51,265 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 177,095 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 211,097 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Jamaica?
- Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in Jamaica was 9.9% 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 Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 32.0% in 2022.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1983.
- How does Jamaica rank for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower?
- Jamaica ranks 55th 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 Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release