Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)

Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 2.7% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
2.7%
Change on year
down 3.9%
Rank
37th
of 45 groups
All-time high
17.3%
in 1970
All-time low
2.2%
in 2007
Years of data
50
1970–2019

Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1970–2019

051015197019942019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) recorded 2.7% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.9% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 17.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 2007.

That places Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 37th out of 45 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%) in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1970 to 2019.
Year % Change
1970 17.3%
1971 17.0% -1.9%
1972 16.4% -3.3%
1973 15.6% -5.3%
1974 14.9% -4.3%
1975 14.7% -1.4%
1976 13.9% -5.3%
1977 12.9% -7.2%
1978 12.3% -4.7%
1979 10.6% -14.2%
1980 10.1% -4.7%
1981 9.0% -10.8%
1982 8.7% -2.8%
1983 8.6% -1.1%
1984 8.7% +0.8%
1985 8.2% -5.1%
1986 8.5% +2.5%
1987 8.4% -1.1%
1988 8.7% +4.0%
1989 9.6% +10.0%
1990 9.1% -4.8%
1991 8.8% -3.6%
1992 7.9% -10.0%
1993 7.6% -4.2%
1994 8.1% +7.1%
1995 8.2% +1.2%
1996 7.7% -6.2%
1997 7.7% -0.1%
1998 5.4% -29.5%
1999 4.1% -24.0%
2000 3.5% -15.8%
2001 3.3% -3.5%
2002 3.3% -2.8%
2003 3.0% -6.5%
2004 3.1% +3.4%
2005 2.6% -16.5%
2006 3.1% +17.0%
2007 2.2% -27.0%
2008 2.3% +1.0%
2009 2.4% +4.0%
2010 2.7% +14.2%
2011 2.8% +3.1%
2012 2.9% +3.8%
2013 2.9% +1.3%
2014 3.2% +10.7%
2015 3.2% -2.0%
2016 3.1% -1.3%
2017 3.0% -4.4%
2018 2.8% -5.4%
2019 2.7% -3.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 14.6% 10.6% 17.3% 10
1980s 8.8% 8.2% 10.1% 10
1990s 7.5% 4.1% 9.1% 10
2000s 2.9% 2.2% 3.5% 10
2010s 2.9% 2.7% 3.2% 10

Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)

  1. 34 El Salvador 13.7% compare
  2. 35 Tanzania 13.4% compare
  3. 36 Bulgaria 13.3% compare
  4. 37 Panama 13.2% compare
  5. 38 Honduras 12.5% compare
  6. 39 Romania 12.5% compare
  7. 40 Suriname 12.3% compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More education data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)

All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 2.7% 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 17.3% in 1970.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 2007.
How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 37th 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income). 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/latin-america-and-caribbean-excluding-high-income/

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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/