Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia
SDG: Southern Asia: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 9.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia, 2000–2025
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 SDG: Southern Asia is 9.7%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 21.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia peaked at 30.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.7%, in 2025.
That places SDG: Southern Asia 21st out of 39 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 30.6% | — |
| 2001 | 28.8% | -5.9% |
| 2002 | 27.3% | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 25.9% | -5.1% |
| 2004 | 24.5% | -5.4% |
| 2005 | 23.2% | -5.3% |
| 2006 | 21.8% | -6.0% |
| 2007 | 20.2% | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 18.8% | -6.9% |
| 2009 | 17.6% | -6.4% |
| 2010 | 16.3% | -7.4% |
| 2011 | 15.2% | -6.7% |
| 2012 | 14.4% | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 13.7% | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 13.0% | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 12.4% | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 11.8% | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 11.2% | -5.1% |
| 2018 | 10.7% | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 10.4% | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 10.1% | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 10.0% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 10.1% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 10.0% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 9.8% | -2.0% |
| 2025 | 9.7% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.9% | 17.6% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.9% | 10.4% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.0% | 9.7% | 10.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Southern Asia
- 18 Guinea-Bissau 30.5% compare
- 19 Solomon Islands 30.1% compare
- 20 British Virgin Islands 27.0% compare
- 21 Honduras 26.6% compare
- 22 Burundi 26.5% compare
- 23 Chad 24.8% compare
- 24 Senegal 24.5% compare
More education data for SDG: Southern Asia
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 7.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.70 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 88.16 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.205 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 94.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 54.48 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 28.18 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia was 9.7% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 30.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.7% in 2025.
- How does SDG: Southern Asia rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
- SDG: Southern Asia ranks 21st out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Southern Asia 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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CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release