Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 5.4% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
5.4%
Change on year
down 1.8%
Rank
23rd
of 45 groups
All-time high
39.1%
in 1971
All-time low
5.2%
in 2012
Years of data
50
1970–2019

Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1970–2019

10203040197019942019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) stood at 5.4%.

The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 21.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 39.1% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2012.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 23rd of 45 groups 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1970 to 2019.
Year % Change
1970 39.1%
1971 39.1% +0.0%
1972 36.7% -6.2%
1973 35.2% -4.1%
1974 34.1% -2.9%
1975 31.5% -7.7%
1976 29.1% -7.7%
1977 27.5% -5.3%
1978 26.3% -4.5%
1979 27.0% +2.7%
1980 24.5% -9.2%
1981 24.9% +1.4%
1982 23.6% -5.2%
1983 22.8% -3.3%
1984 21.4% -6.2%
1985 21.0% -2.1%
1986 20.0% -4.4%
1987 19.0% -5.0%
1988 18.2% -4.2%
1989 18.2% -0.0%
1990 16.2% -11.2%
1991 15.2% -5.8%
1992 17.7% +16.1%
1993 17.5% -1.2%
1994 15.9% -9.4%
1995 17.2% +8.4%
1996 15.4% -10.5%
1997 15.6% +1.1%
1998 16.0% +2.6%
1999 15.4% -3.8%
2000 14.3% -7.2%
2001 11.7% -17.8%
2002 9.8% -16.0%
2003 9.3% -5.4%
2004 8.6% -7.5%
2005 8.7% +1.3%
2006 9.2% +5.1%
2007 7.9% -13.3%
2008 7.4% -7.3%
2009 6.8% -7.6%
2010 6.0% -12.6%
2011 6.0% +0.5%
2012 5.2% -12.6%
2013 5.9% +13.0%
2014 6.3% +6.5%
2015 6.3% -0.1%
2016 6.2% -1.3%
2017 5.8% -6.3%
2018 5.5% -5.6%
2019 5.4% -1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 32.6% 26.3% 39.1% 10
1980s 21.4% 18.2% 24.9% 10
1990s 16.2% 15.2% 17.7% 10
2000s 9.4% 6.8% 14.3% 10
2010s 5.8% 5.2% 6.3% 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  1. 20 Mauritania 23.1% compare
  2. 21 Puerto Rico 22.1% compare
  3. 22 Guinea 21.9% compare
  4. 23 Burkina Faso 21.9% compare
  5. 24 Kenya 18.8% compare
  6. 25 Jordan 18.7% compare
  7. 26 Angola 18.4% compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More education data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 5.4% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 39.1% in 1971.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2012.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 23rd 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 19 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-of-primary-school-age-both-sexes-percent/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-ida-and-ibrd/

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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/