Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 4.0% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Papua New Guinea, 1989–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Papua New Guinea is 4.0%, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 26.7% on the previous year and down 86.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Papua New Guinea peaked at 32.8% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2018.
Papua New Guinea ranks 100th of 203 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 28.9% | — |
| 2012 | 30.2% | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 32.8% | +8.4% |
| 2016 | 10.8% | -67.1% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | -91.5% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | +76.5% |
| 2020 | 3.2% | +94.4% |
| 2021 | 4.0% | +26.7% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 4.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.9%, 58% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 4.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.6%, 1.5× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 28.9% | 28.9% | 28.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 15.3% | 0.9% | 32.8% | 5 |
| 2020s | 3.6% | 3.2% | 4.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 97 Tajikistan 4.2% compare
- 98 Uganda 4.1% compare
- 99 French Polynesia 4.1% compare
- 101 United States 4.0% compare
- 102 Dominica 4.0% compare
- 103 Eswatini 3.8% compare
More education data for Papua New Guinea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14,791 (2016)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 80,915 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 226,545 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 208,353 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 655,030 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.65 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 10.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1593 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Papua New Guinea?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Papua New Guinea was 4.0% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 32.8% in 2014.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2018.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 100th out of 203 countries with data for 2021.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 86.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release