Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in India
India: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female was 1.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in India, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in India stood at 1.6%.
The figure is down 18.4% on the previous year and up 41.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in India peaked at 52.3% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2008.
India ranks 145th of 180 countries on this measure, 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, female in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 52.3% | — |
| 1990 | 34.9% | -33.1% |
| 2000 | 20.1% | -42.5% |
| 2001 | 20.8% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 20.5% | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 10.6% | -48.1% |
| 2008 | 0.0% | -99.7% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | +3251.2% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | -38.4% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | +334.1% |
| 2012 | 1.1% | -52.3% |
| 2016 | 2.9% | +157.2% |
| 2017 | 5.1% | +72.5% |
| 2018 | 5.6% | +11.3% |
| 2019 | 6.7% | +19.3% |
| 2020 | 3.5% | -48.2% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | -43.2% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -18.4% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9.6%, 17% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- India's 1.6% is below the median for South Asia, which is 2.1%, 77% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in India 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +3251.2% | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| 2011 | +334.1% | 0.6% | 2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 52.3% | 52.3% | 52.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 34.9% | 34.9% | 34.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 12.2% | 0.0% | 20.8% | 6 |
| 2010s | 3.5% | 0.6% | 6.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 1.6% | 3.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in India?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in India was 1.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 52.3% in 1971.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2008.
- How does India rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female?
- India ranks 145th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release