Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Arab World
Arab World: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 14.7% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Arab World, 1970–2019
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 Arab World is 14.7%, measured in 2019.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Arab World peaked at 43.5% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 14.7%, in 2010.
That places Arab World 11th out of 45 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 50 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Arab World, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 43.5% | — |
| 1971 | 43.5% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 42.2% | -3.0% |
| 1973 | 41.2% | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 40.5% | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 39.2% | -3.1% |
| 1976 | 37.7% | -3.9% |
| 1977 | 36.9% | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 36.3% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 34.7% | -4.3% |
| 1980 | 33.6% | -3.2% |
| 1981 | 33.2% | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 32.8% | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 32.1% | -2.0% |
| 1984 | 30.8% | -3.9% |
| 1985 | 30.3% | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 29.3% | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 28.2% | -3.8% |
| 1988 | 27.5% | -2.7% |
| 1989 | 27.4% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 27.0% | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 26.4% | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 29.0% | +9.8% |
| 1993 | 28.5% | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 26.3% | -7.7% |
| 1995 | 27.1% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 25.0% | -7.7% |
| 1997 | 24.6% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 24.3% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 22.8% | -6.4% |
| 2000 | 21.9% | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 20.7% | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 19.8% | -4.3% |
| 2003 | 19.3% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 18.8% | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 18.1% | -3.8% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 16.9% | -6.4% |
| 2008 | 16.0% | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 15.8% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 14.7% | -6.9% |
| 2011 | 15.0% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 14.9% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 15.7% | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 16.0% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 15.7% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 15.6% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 15.0% | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 14.7% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 14.7% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 39.6% | 34.7% | 43.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.5% | 27.4% | 33.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.1% | 22.8% | 29.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.5% | 15.8% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.2% | 14.7% | 16.0% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
More education data for Arab World
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.58 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 40.79 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 55.62 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.7891 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1129 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 63.3% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 32.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Arab World?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Arab World was 14.7% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 43.5% in 1970.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.7% in 2010.
- How does Arab World rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Arab World ranks 11th out of 45 groups with data for 2019.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Arab World 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
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/