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

Saudi Arabia: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 1.8% in 2016. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2016)
1.8%
Change on year
up 164.9%
World rank
106th
of 188 countries
All-time high
56.3%
in 1979
All-time low
0.1%
in 2012
Years of data
8
1979–2016

Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Saudi Arabia, 1979–2016

02040601979199720161979: 56.3 %2009: 8.1 %2010: 2.9 %2011: 2.9 %2012: 0.148 %2013: 2.2 %2015: 0.697 %2016: 1.8 %

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 Saudi Arabia is 1.8%, measured in 2016.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 164.9% on the previous year and down 77.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Saudi Arabia peaked at 56.3% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2012.

Saudi Arabia ranks 106th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Saudi Arabia, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%) in Saudi Arabia, 1979 to 2016.
Year % Change
1979 56.3%
2009 8.1% -85.5%
2010 2.9% -64.8%
2011 2.9% +0.3%
2012 0.1% -94.8%
2013 2.2% +1364.4%
2015 0.7% -67.8%
2016 1.8% +164.9%

Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries

  • Saudi Arabia's 1.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.1%, 1.7× the median. (69 countries reporting)
  • Saudi Arabia's 1.8% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.9%, 95% of the median. (21 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 56.3% 56.3% 56.3% 1
2000s 8.1% 8.1% 8.1% 1
2010s 1.8% 0.1% 2.9% 6

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

  1. 103 British Virgin Islands 1.9% compare
  2. 104 Libya 1.9% compare
  3. 105 Qatar 1.9% compare
  4. 107 Serbia 1.8% compare
  5. 108 Guyana 1.8% compare
  6. 109 Malawi 1.8% compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More education data for Saudi Arabia

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Saudi Arabia?
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Saudi Arabia was 1.8% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The highest recorded value was 56.3% in 1979.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2012.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
Saudi Arabia ranks 106th out of 188 countries with data for 2016.
Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
Over the last ten years it is down 77.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia. 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/saudi-arabia/

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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/