Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%) by country
The number of students of the official age for primary education is subtracted from the total population of the same age. The result is expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for primary education. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website:...
Countries reporting
188
Highest
85.5%
Somalia
Lowest
0.0%
Viet Nam
Median
2.3%
Years covered
51
1970–2020
Data points
6,366
What the numbers show
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%) is currently reported for 188 countries. The highest value is 85.5% in Somalia; the lowest is 0.0% in Viet Nam.
The median across all reporting countries is 2.3%, and the mean is 7.8%.
Over the past decade 69 countries rose and 110 fell. The largest increase was in Spain (up 32,903.2%), and the largest decrease in Viet Nam (down 100.0%).
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somalia | 85.5% | 1980 | — | rising |
| 2 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 63.2% | 1999 | up 78.3% | rising |
| 3 | Equatorial Guinea | 55.3% | 2015 | up 71.1% | rising |
| 4 | Eritrea | 47.3% | 2018 | up 89.3% | falling |
| 5 | Haiti | 41.9% | 1997 | down 27.1% | falling |
| 6 | Niger | 41.0% | 2019 | down 16.2% | falling |
| 7 | Mali | 41.0% | 2018 | up 2.8% | falling |
| 8 | Sudan | 38.3% | 2017 | down 7.2% | falling |
| 9 | Nigeria | 34.0% | 2010 | up 0.6% | falling |
| 10 | Central African Republic | 33.4% | 2012 | down 36.2% | falling |
| 11 | Djibouti | 33.0% | 2020 | down 36.5% | falling |
| 12 | Pakistan | 28.0% | 2017 | down 20.5% | falling |
| 13 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 27.8% | 2015 | up 18.8% | volatile |
| 14 | Syrian Arab Republic | 27.6% | 2013 | up 1,604.0% | volatile |
| 15 | Guinea-Bissau | 27.3% | 2010 | down 46.1% | falling |
| 16 | Chad | 26.2% | 2019 | down 30.3% | falling |
| 17 | Marshall Islands | 25.9% | 2019 | up 339.2% | volatile |
| 18 | Senegal | 25.7% | 2019 | down 9.7% | falling |
| 19 | Bahamas | 23.5% | 2018 | up 69.2% | volatile |
| 20 | Mauritania | 23.1% | 2019 | down 16.4% | falling |
| 21 | Puerto Rico | 22.1% | 2018 | up 121.2% | rising |
| 22 | Guinea | 21.9% | 2016 | down 36.1% | falling |
| 23 | Burkina Faso | 21.9% | 2019 | down 39.4% | falling |
| 24 | Kenya | 18.8% | 2012 | down 37.8% | falling |
| 25 | Jordan | 18.7% | 2019 | up 40.1% | volatile |
| 26 | Angola | 18.4% | 2011 | down 66.3% | volatile |
| 27 | Comoros | 18.2% | 2018 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 28 | Jamaica | 17.2% | 2019 | up 138.6% | volatile |
| 29 | Eswatini | 16.3% | 2018 | down 8.8% | falling |
| 30 | Yemen | 15.6% | 2016 | down 32.3% | falling |
| 31 | Zambia | 14.9% | 2017 | up 80.4% | falling |
| 32 | Gambia | 14.7% | 2019 | down 55.8% | falling |
| 33 | Ethiopia | 14.4% | 2015 | down 63.0% | falling |
| 34 | El Salvador | 13.7% | 2018 | up 215.5% | volatile |
| 35 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 13.4% | 2019 | up 1,380.9% | volatile |
| 36 | Bulgaria | 13.3% | 2018 | up 21,066.0% | volatile |
| 37 | Panama | 13.2% | 2017 | up 2,328.4% | volatile |
| 38 | Honduras | 12.5% | 2019 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 39 | Romania | 12.5% | 2018 | up 429.7% | volatile |
| 40 | Suriname | 12.3% | 2019 | up 48.2% | rising |
| 41 | Botswana | 11.0% | 2014 | down 3.1% | volatile |
| 42 | South Africa | 11.0% | 2018 | up 99.7% | volatile |
| 43 | Paraguay | 10.7% | 2012 | up 282.7% | volatile |
| 44 | Guatemala | 10.7% | 2019 | up 135.7% | volatile |
| 45 | Congo | 10.7% | 2012 | down 77.8% | volatile |
| 46 | China | 10.7% | 1997 | up 48.9% | rising |
| 47 | Cayman Islands | 10.4% | 2018 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 48 | Republic of Moldova | 10.3% | 2019 | up 22.3% | volatile |
| 49 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 9.6% | 2017 | up 160.3% | volatile |
| 50 | Cambodia | 9.4% | 2019 | up 80.5% | volatile |
| 51 | Armenia | 8.9% | 2019 | up 204.0% | falling |
| 52 | Azerbaijan | 8.5% | 2019 | down 29.4% | volatile |
| 53 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 8.4% | 2019 | down 16.0% | volatile |
| 54 | Cameroon | 8.3% | 2019 | down 33.8% | volatile |
| 55 | Ukraine | 8.0% | 2014 | down 21.6% | falling |
| 56 | Vanuatu | 7.9% | 2015 | up 819.7% | volatile |
| 57 | Burundi | 7.6% | 2019 | down 18.0% | volatile |
| 58 | Bermuda | 7.3% | 2012 | up 186.2% | volatile |
| 59 | Iraq | 7.2% | 2007 | down 69.8% | volatile |
| 60 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 6.8% | 2018 | up 2,583.1% | volatile |
| 61 | Benin | 6.5% | 2019 | up 12.2% | volatile |
| 62 | Cape Verde | 6.4% | 2018 | up 98.2% | volatile |
| 63 | Rwanda | 6.3% | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 64 | Sao Tome and Principe | 6.0% | 2017 | down 41.4% | volatile |
| 65 | Indonesia | 5.6% | 2018 | up 43.9% | volatile |
| 66 | Bangladesh | 5.0% | 2010 | up 82.0% | volatile |
| 67 | Côte d'Ivoire | 5.0% | 2019 | down 88.7% | falling |
| 68 | San Marino | 5.0% | 2019 | down 18.7% | volatile |
| 69 | Türkiye | 5.0% | 2018 | up 120.2% | falling |
| 70 | Timor-Leste | 4.9% | 2019 | down 51.5% | falling |
| 71 | Hungary | 4.4% | 2018 | up 127.0% | volatile |
| 72 | Slovakia | 4.4% | 2018 | up 72.2% | falling |
| 73 | Solomon Islands | 4.4% | 2018 | down 77.4% | volatile |
| 74 | Uganda | 4.4% | 2013 | — | volatile |
| 75 | Dominican Republic | 4.0% | 2019 | down 3.4% | volatile |
| 76 | Brazil | 3.9% | 2011 | up 190.0% | volatile |
| 77 | Kiribati | 3.9% | 2017 | — | volatile |
| 78 | Philippines | 3.8% | 2018 | down 62.2% | rising |
| 79 | Dominica | 3.7% | 2019 | down 56.9% | volatile |
| 80 | Nepal | 3.7% | 2019 | up 454.4% | volatile |
| 81 | Nicaragua | 3.7% | 2010 | down 75.2% | volatile |
| 82 | Bhutan | 3.7% | 2020 | down 70.7% | volatile |
| 83 | Palestine, State of | 3.5% | 2019 | down 69.5% | falling |
| 84 | Italy | 3.1% | 2018 | up 428.3% | volatile |
| 85 | Togo | 3.1% | 2019 | down 63.8% | volatile |
| 86 | Spain | 3.1% | 2018 | up 32,903.2% | volatile |
| 87 | Oman | 2.8% | 2019 | up 35.5% | volatile |
| 88 | Naoero | 2.8% | 2016 | down 56.0% | volatile |
| 89 | Kuwait | 2.7% | 2016 | down 62.9% | volatile |
| 90 | Lesotho | 2.4% | 2017 | down 83.9% | falling |
| 91 | Hong Kong, China | 2.4% | 2018 | up 437.4% | volatile |
| 92 | Mozambique | 2.4% | 2019 | down 78.7% | volatile |
| 93 | Seychelles | 2.4% | 2019 | up 253.2% | volatile |
| 94 | Bahrain | 2.3% | 2019 | down 69.2% | volatile |
| 95 | Madagascar | 2.3% | 2019 | — | falling |
| 96 | Colombia | 2.3% | 2018 | up 2,047.7% | volatile |
| 97 | India | 2.3% | 2013 | down 80.4% | volatile |
| 98 | Poland | 2.2% | 2018 | down 63.1% | falling |
| 99 | Estonia | 2.2% | 2018 | up 392.3% | volatile |
| 100 | Albania | 2.1% | 2019 | down 83.7% | volatile |
| 101 | Maldives | 2.0% | 2019 | up 376.7% | volatile |
| 102 | Myanmar | 1.9% | 2018 | down 80.8% | volatile |
| 103 | British Virgin Islands | 1.9% | 2018 | up 17.4% | volatile |
| 104 | Libya | 1.9% | 1983 | down 78.3% | volatile |
| 105 | Qatar | 1.9% | 2019 | down 9.2% | volatile |
| 106 | Saudi Arabia | 1.8% | 2016 | down 77.3% | volatile |
| 107 | Serbia | 1.8% | 2019 | down 46.6% | volatile |
| 108 | Guyana | 1.8% | 2012 | down 75.1% | falling |
| 109 | Malawi | 1.8% | 2009 | down 8.9% | rising |
| 110 | Thailand | 1.7% | 2009 | — | volatile |
| 111 | Saint Lucia | 1.7% | 2019 | down 65.5% | volatile |
| 112 | Croatia | 1.6% | 2018 | down 37.3% | volatile |
| 113 | Namibia | 1.5% | 2018 | down 82.3% | volatile |
| 114 | Greece | 1.4% | 2018 | down 66.7% | volatile |
| 115 | Peru | 1.4% | 2018 | up 149.9% | volatile |
| 116 | Mauritius | 1.4% | 2019 | up 47.7% | volatile |
| 117 | Finland | 1.3% | 2018 | down 28.6% | volatile |
| 118 | Ecuador | 1.3% | 2018 | down 76.0% | volatile |
| 119 | Belarus | 1.3% | 2018 | up 20.5% | volatile |
| 120 | Samoa | 1.3% | 2018 | down 20.9% | volatile |
| 121 | Chile | 1.3% | 2018 | down 51.2% | falling |
| 122 | United Arab Emirates | 1.3% | 2017 | down 77.3% | volatile |
| 123 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1.2% | 2010 | up 94.1% | volatile |
| 124 | Macau, China | 1.2% | 2019 | down 92.0% | falling |
| 125 | Tunisia | 1.2% | 2013 | up 11.9% | volatile |
| 126 | Latvia | 1.1% | 2018 | up 13,148.7% | volatile |
| 127 | Tonga | 1.1% | 2015 | down 6.1% | volatile |
| 128 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1.1% | 2016 | up 179.9% | volatile |
| 129 | Barbados | 1.1% | 2019 | down 61.3% | volatile |
| 130 | Luxembourg | 1.0% | 2018 | down 45.9% | volatile |
| 131 | Korea | 0.9% | 2018 | up 274.7% | volatile |
| 132 | Kazakhstan | 0.9% | 2019 | up 652.0% | volatile |
| 133 | Ghana | 0.8% | 2019 | down 94.9% | volatile |
| 134 | Cuba | 0.8% | 2019 | down 46.4% | volatile |
| 135 | Grenada | 0.8% | 2018 | up 288.8% | volatile |
| 136 | Egypt | 0.7% | 2019 | down 82.2% | volatile |
| 137 | Mongolia | 0.7% | 2018 | up 175.9% | volatile |
| 138 | Mexico | 0.7% | 2018 | up 921.9% | volatile |
| 139 | North Macedonia | 0.7% | 2018 | down 91.8% | falling |
| 140 | Antigua and Barbuda | 0.7% | 2018 | up 6.0% | volatile |
| 141 | Germany | 0.7% | 2018 | down 72.8% | volatile |
| 142 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 0.7% | 2018 | down 35.5% | volatile |
| 143 | Georgia | 0.6% | 2019 | down 79.6% | volatile |
| 144 | Uzbekistan | 0.6% | 2019 | down 90.7% | volatile |
| 145 | French Polynesia | 0.6% | 1996 | down 90.8% | volatile |
| 146 | Denmark | 0.6% | 2018 | down 7.0% | volatile |
| 147 | Cyprus | 0.6% | 2018 | up 38.7% | volatile |
| 148 | United States of America | 0.6% | 2018 | down 75.7% | volatile |
| 149 | Brunei Darussalam | 0.6% | 2019 | up 52.5% | volatile |
| 150 | Fiji | 0.6% | 2016 | up 51.5% | volatile |
| 151 | Tajikistan | 0.5% | 2017 | down 66.6% | falling |
| 152 | Sri Lanka | 0.5% | 2018 | down 88.2% | volatile |
| 153 | Belgium | 0.5% | 2018 | down 56.6% | volatile |
| 154 | Sierra Leone | 0.5% | 2016 | — | volatile |
| 155 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.5% | 2019 | down 89.6% | volatile |
| 156 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.5% | 2017 | down 60.4% | volatile |
| 157 | Zimbabwe | 0.5% | 2013 | down 95.3% | volatile |
| 158 | Belize | 0.5% | 2019 | down 82.5% | volatile |
| 159 | Argentina | 0.4% | 2017 | up 237.2% | volatile |
| 160 | Australia | 0.4% | 2018 | down 52.4% | volatile |
| 161 | Portugal | 0.4% | 2018 | up 494.6% | volatile |
| 162 | Morocco | 0.4% | 2019 | down 95.9% | volatile |
| 163 | Czechia | 0.4% | 2018 | down 37.0% | volatile |
| 164 | Algeria | 0.4% | 2019 | down 61.1% | volatile |
| 165 | Netherlands | 0.4% | 2018 | — | volatile |
| 166 | Malaysia | 0.4% | 2017 | down 92.7% | volatile |
| 167 | Israel | 0.3% | 2018 | up 180.1% | volatile |
| 168 | Gibraltar | 0.3% | 2016 | — | falling |
| 169 | New Zealand | 0.3% | 2018 | down 81.6% | volatile |
| 170 | Slovenia | 0.2% | 2018 | down 65.3% | volatile |
| 171 | Malta | 0.2% | 2017 | down 67.1% | volatile |
| 172 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 0.2% | 2017 | down 95.2% | volatile |
| 173 | Canada | 0.2% | 2018 | down 61.4% | volatile |
| 174 | Lithuania | 0.2% | 2018 | up 50.1% | volatile |
| 175 | Russian Federation | 0.2% | 2018 | down 92.7% | volatile |
| 176 | Liechtenstein | 0.1% | 2018 | down 81.0% | volatile |
| 177 | Uruguay | 0.1% | 2018 | down 47.8% | volatile |
| 178 | Costa Rica | 0.1% | 2019 | up 241.3% | volatile |
| 179 | Sweden | 0.1% | 2018 | down 90.2% | volatile |
| 180 | Switzerland | 0.1% | 2018 | down 84.4% | volatile |
| 181 | Aruba | 0.1% | 2014 | down 96.4% | volatile |
| 182 | Iceland | 0.1% | 2018 | down 92.3% | volatile |
| 183 | Austria | 0.0% | 2018 | down 98.5% | volatile |
| 184 | France | 0.0% | 2018 | down 91.6% | volatile |
| 185 | Montenegro | 0.0% | 2019 | down 99.8% | volatile |
| 186 | Ireland | 0.0% | 2018 | down 97.7% | volatile |
| 187 | Norway | 0.0% | 2018 | down 99.9% | volatile |
| 188 | Viet Nam | 0.0% | 2013 | down 100.0% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- IDA blend 23.8%
- Pre-demographic dividend 21.1%
- IDA total 19.6%
- Low income 19.1%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 18.7%
- Sub-Saharan Africa 18.7%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 18.7%
- Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) 16.4%
- Least developed countries 16.2%
- IDA only 15.2%
- Arab World 14.7%
- Other small states 11.9%
- Small states 11.0%
- Caribbean Small States 9.4%
- Lower middle income 9.1%
- IDA & IBRD total 9.0%
- Low & middle income 8.8%
- World 8.0%
- South Asia 7.3%
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 7.3%
- Middle income 6.8%
- Early-demographic dividend 5.9%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 5.4%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 5.4%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 5.2%
- Central Europe and the Baltics 4.7%
- Pacific island small states 4.3%
- Upper middle income 3.5%
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 3.5%
- IBRD only 3.4%
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 3.4%
- East Asia & Pacific 3.4%
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 3.1%
- Latin America & Caribbean 2.8%
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 2.8%
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 2.8%
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 2.7%
- Late-demographic dividend 2.6%
- Europe & Central Asia 2.1%
- European Union 1.8%
About this data
The number of students of the official age for primary education is subtracted from the total population of the same age. The result is expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for primary education. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/