Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Gambia
Gambia: 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 Gambia, 1971–2019
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 Gambia is 14.7%, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 19.0% on the previous year and down 55.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Gambia peaked at 79.2% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 14.7%, in 2019.
Gambia ranks 32nd of 188 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Gambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 79.1% | — |
| 1972 | 79.2% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 77.9% | -1.6% |
| 1974 | 77.5% | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 76.3% | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 74.8% | -2.0% |
| 1977 | 70.8% | -5.3% |
| 1978 | 68.3% | -3.6% |
| 1979 | 64.3% | -5.8% |
| 1980 | 59.6% | -7.3% |
| 1981 | 51.1% | -14.3% |
| 1982 | 47.0% | -7.9% |
| 1983 | 43.6% | -7.3% |
| 1984 | 41.9% | -4.1% |
| 1985 | 39.1% | -6.7% |
| 1986 | 39.4% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 51.0% | +29.5% |
| 1992 | 52.2% | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 49.0% | -6.2% |
| 1996 | 41.8% | -14.7% |
| 1998 | 41.1% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 32.0% | -22.1% |
| 2000 | 35.5% | +10.8% |
| 2001 | 35.7% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 37.9% | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 34.7% | -8.5% |
| 2004 | 34.2% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 36.1% | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 31.4% | -13.2% |
| 2007 | 29.3% | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 33.4% | +13.7% |
| 2010 | 32.1% | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 32.7% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 29.7% | -9.1% |
| 2013 | 30.0% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 30.2% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 24.1% | -20.2% |
| 2016 | 22.3% | -7.2% |
| 2017 | 19.8% | -11.2% |
| 2018 | 18.2% | -8.3% |
| 2019 | 14.7% | -19.0% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 14.7% is below the median for low income countries, which is 21.9%, 67% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 14.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.4%, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 74.2% | 64.3% | 79.2% | 9 |
| 1980s | 45.9% | 39.1% | 59.6% | 7 |
| 1990s | 44.5% | 32.0% | 52.2% | 6 |
| 2000s | 34.2% | 29.3% | 37.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 25.4% | 14.7% | 32.7% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More education data for Gambia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 12,452 (2021)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 16,389 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 71,238 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 77,061 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 369,783 (2021)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 442,901 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1569 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Gambia?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Gambia 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 Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 79.2% in 1972.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.7% in 2019.
- How does Gambia rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Gambia ranks 32nd out of 188 countries with data for 2019.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 55.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Gambia 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/