Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Pakistan
Pakistan: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 28.0% in 2017. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Pakistan, 2002–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 28.0% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 20.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Pakistan peaked at 44.7% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 28.0%, in 2017.
That places Pakistan 12th out of 188 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 44.7% | — |
| 2003 | 43.3% | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 35.8% | -17.3% |
| 2005 | 33.1% | -7.6% |
| 2006 | 39.2% | +18.6% |
| 2007 | 35.2% | -10.3% |
| 2008 | 35.1% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 34.6% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 34.0% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 36.9% | +8.6% |
| 2012 | 37.3% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 32.6% | -12.6% |
| 2014 | 28.6% | -12.4% |
| 2015 | 32.6% | +14.2% |
| 2016 | 28.1% | -13.8% |
| 2017 | 28.0% | -0.5% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 28.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.0%, 4.6× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 28.0% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.9%, 14.4× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 37.6% | 33.1% | 44.7% | 8 |
| 2010s | 32.3% | 28.0% | 37.3% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 9 Nigeria 34.0% compare
- 10 Central African Republic 33.4% compare
- 11 Djibouti 33.0% compare
- 13 Turks and Caicos Islands 27.8% compare
- 14 Syria 27.6% compare
- 15 Guinea-Bissau 27.3% compare
More education data for Pakistan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 440,233 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 5.05 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.90 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 19.70 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.38 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.101 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Pakistan?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Pakistan was 28.0% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 44.7% in 2002.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.0% in 2017.
- How does Pakistan rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Pakistan ranks 12th out of 188 countries with data for 2017.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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/