Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries
SDG: Least Developed Countries: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes was 49.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries, 2000–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries stood at 49.2%. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries peaked at 67.0% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 49.2%, in 2025.
That places SDG: Least Developed Countries 5th out of 39 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 66.3% | — |
| 2001 | 66.7% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 67.0% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 66.4% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 65.9% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 65.0% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 63.8% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 62.5% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 61.0% | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 59.5% | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 57.8% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 56.2% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 55.0% | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 53.2% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 52.4% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 51.4% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 50.6% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 50.3% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 50.4% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 51.0% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 51.3% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 51.4% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 50.8% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 50.1% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 49.2% | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 64.4% | 59.5% | 67.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.1% | 50.3% | 57.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.6% | 49.2% | 51.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Least Developed Countries
- 2 Tanzania, United Republic of 85.0% compare
- 3 Mauritania 83.4% compare
- 4 Senegal 81.1% compare
- 5 Chad 80.0% compare
- 6 Mali 77.0% compare
- 7 Burkina Faso 76.3% compare
- 8 Ethiopia 73.3% compare
More education data for SDG: Least Developed Countries
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 75.92 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 36.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 11.66 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.684 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 11.32 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7503 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 87.82 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries was 49.2% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 67.0% in 2002.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.2% in 2025.
- How does SDG: Least Developed Countries rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes?
- SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 5th out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Least Developed Countries data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release