Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male in India
India: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male was 1.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male in India, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
India recorded 1.3% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 49.0% on the previous year and up 371.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male in India peaked at 26.8% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2012.
India ranks 151st 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, male in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 26.8% | — |
| 1990 | 12.8% | -52.4% |
| 2000 | 4.8% | -62.6% |
| 2001 | 7.2% | +51.0% |
| 2002 | 8.0% | +11.9% |
| 2003 | 7.4% | -7.6% |
| 2008 | 0.8% | -89.6% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | +239.9% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | -37.0% |
| 2011 | 3.0% | +83.0% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | -90.7% |
| 2016 | 5.2% | +1727.8% |
| 2017 | 6.9% | +33.5% |
| 2018 | 7.0% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 8.0% | +12.9% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | -42.5% |
| 2021 | 2.6% | -42.8% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | -49.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.6%, 16% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- India's 1.3% is below the median for South Asia, which is 7.0%, 19% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +1727.8% | 0.3% | 5.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26.8% | 26.8% | 26.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 12.8% | 12.8% | 12.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 5.1% | 0.8% | 8.0% | 6 |
| 2010s | 4.6% | 0.3% | 8.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 1.3% | 4.6% | 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, male in India?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male in India was 1.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 26.8% in 1971.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2012.
- How does India rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male?
- India ranks 151st out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, male rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 371.9%. 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, male (%). 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