Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Colombia

Colombia: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 2.3% in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
2.3%
Change on year
down 14.0%
World rank
96th
of 188 countries
All-time high
31.9%
in 1986
All-time low
0.1%
in 2008
Years of data
31
1982–2018

Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Colombia, 1982–2018

01020301982200020181982: 27.1 %1984: 28.8 %1985: 30 %1986: 31.9 %1987: 31.2 %1988: 31.3 %1989: 31.1 %1991: 28.1 %1992: 20 %1993: 19.4 %1994: 18.6 %1995: 15.5 %1996: 10.7 %1998: 2.3 %1999: 1.3 %2000: 0.791 %2001: 2.8 %2002: 1.7 %2004: 3.1 %2005: 0.134 %2006: 0.143 %2007: 0.281 %2008: 0.106 %2009: 0.678 %2010: 2.2 %2011: 2.7 %2012: 4.8 %2015: 3.6 %2016: 4.6 %2017: 2.7 %2018: 2.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Colombia recorded 2.3% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in 2018.

That represents a change of down 14.0% on the previous year and up 2,047.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Colombia peaked at 31.9% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2008.

Colombia ranks 96th of 188 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 of primary school age, both sexes in Colombia, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%) in Colombia, 1982 to 2018.
Year % Change
1982 27.1%
1984 28.8% +6.3%
1985 30.0% +3.9%
1986 31.9% +6.6%
1987 31.2% -2.5%
1988 31.3% +0.3%
1989 31.1% -0.4%
1991 28.1% -9.9%
1992 20.0% -28.6%
1993 19.4% -3.3%
1994 18.6% -3.8%
1995 15.5% -16.7%
1996 10.7% -31.0%
1998 2.3% -78.2%
1999 1.3% -46.0%
2000 0.8% -37.4%
2001 2.8% +254.7%
2002 1.7% -39.1%
2004 3.1% +79.0%
2005 0.1% -95.6%
2006 0.1% +6.5%
2007 0.3% +96.3%
2008 0.1% -62.1%
2009 0.7% +537.7%
2010 2.2% +222.5%
2011 2.7% +22.8%
2012 4.8% +77.2%
2015 3.6% -23.9%
2016 4.6% +26.4%
2017 2.7% -42.0%
2018 2.3% -14.0%

Colombia compared with similar countries

  • Colombia's 2.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.9%, 1.2× the median. (53 countries reporting)
  • Colombia's 2.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2.1%, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Colombia 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.

YearChange FromTo
2009 +537.7% 0.1% 0.7%
2001 +254.7% 0.8% 2.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 30.2% 27.1% 31.9% 7
1990s 14.5% 1.3% 28.1% 8
2000s 1.1% 0.1% 3.1% 9
2010s 3.3% 2.2% 4.8% 7

Countries ranked near Colombia

  1. 93 Seychelles 2.4% compare
  2. 94 Bahrain 2.3% compare
  3. 95 Madagascar 2.3% compare
  4. 97 India 2.3% compare
  5. 98 Poland 2.2% compare
  6. 99 Estonia 2.2% compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More education data for Colombia

All data for Colombia →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Colombia?
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Colombia was 2.3% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Colombia?
The highest recorded value was 31.9% in 1986.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Colombia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2008.
How does Colombia rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
Colombia ranks 96th out of 188 countries with data for 2018.
Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Colombia?
Over the last ten years it is up 2,047.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Colombia 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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Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Colombia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-of-primary-school-age-both-sexes-percent/colombia/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
233 places, 6,366 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

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/