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

Guatemala: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 10.7% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
10.7%
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
44th
of 188 countries
All-time high
54.0%
in 1970
All-time low
4.4%
in 2007
Years of data
30
1970–2019

Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Guatemala, 1970–2019

010203040501970199420191970: 54 %1971: 52.9 %1972: 52.2 %1974: 50.9 %1975: 49.9 %1978: 47.7 %1979: 47.2 %1980: 45.4 %1981: 42.5 %1982: 45.4 %1983: 41.8 %1997: 29 %1999: 16.6 %2000: 14.3 %2001: 15.5 %2002: 12.5 %2004: 8.1 %2005: 6.7 %2006: 5.3 %2007: 4.4 %2008: 4.5 %2011: 4.5 %2012: 7.5 %2013: 9.8 %2014: 11.7 %2015: 12 %2016: 12.7 %2017: 11.7 %2018: 10.6 %2019: 10.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Guatemala stood at 10.7%.

The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 135.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Guatemala peaked at 54.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 2007.

That places Guatemala 44th out of 188 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

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 Guatemala, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%) in Guatemala, 1970 to 2019.
Year % Change
1970 54.0%
1971 52.9% -2.2%
1972 52.2% -1.4%
1974 50.9% -2.4%
1975 49.9% -1.9%
1978 47.7% -4.4%
1979 47.2% -1.1%
1980 45.4% -3.9%
1981 42.5% -6.4%
1982 45.4% +6.8%
1983 41.8% -7.8%
1997 29.0% -30.7%
1999 16.6% -42.8%
2000 14.3% -13.6%
2001 15.5% +8.4%
2002 12.5% -19.7%
2004 8.1% -34.6%
2005 6.7% -17.1%
2006 5.3% -21.7%
2007 4.4% -16.7%
2008 4.5% +3.2%
2011 4.5% -1.0%
2012 7.5% +66.6%
2013 9.8% +31.0%
2014 11.7% +19.5%
2015 12.0% +2.6%
2016 12.7% +5.5%
2017 11.7% -8.0%
2018 10.6% -9.1%
2019 10.7% +0.8%

Guatemala compared with similar countries

  • Guatemala's 10.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.9%, 5.5× the median. (53 countries reporting)
  • Guatemala's 10.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2.1%, 5.1× 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 Guatemala 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
2012 +66.6% 4.5% 7.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 50.7% 47.2% 54.0% 7
1980s 43.7% 41.8% 45.4% 4
1990s 22.8% 16.6% 29.0% 2
2000s 8.9% 4.4% 15.5% 8
2010s 10.1% 4.5% 12.7% 9

Countries ranked near Guatemala

  1. 41 Botswana 11.0% compare
  2. 42 South Africa 11.0% compare
  3. 43 Paraguay 10.7% compare
  4. 45 Congo 10.7% compare
  5. 46 China 10.7% compare
  6. 47 Cayman Islands 10.4% compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More education data for Guatemala

All data for Guatemala →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Guatemala?
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Guatemala was 10.7% 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 Guatemala?
The highest recorded value was 54.0% in 1970.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Guatemala?
The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 2007.
How does Guatemala rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
Guatemala ranks 44th 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 Guatemala?
Over the last ten years it is up 135.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Guatemala 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 Guatemala. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-of-primary-school-age-both-sexes-percent/guatemala/

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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/