Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Australia
Australia: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 68.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Australia, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Australia is 68.2%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Australia peaked at 73.4% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 68.2%, in 2024.
That places Australia 167th out of 201 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 73.4% | — |
| 1999 | 73.1% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 72.8% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 72.4% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 72.0% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 71.7% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 71.3% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 70.9% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 70.5% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 70.2% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 69.7% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 69.5% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 69.1% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 68.9% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 68.9% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 69.0% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 69.1% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 69.6% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 69.9% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 70.2% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 70.3% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 70.5% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 70.4% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 69.8% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 69.1% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 68.7% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 68.2% | -0.7% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 68.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 87.7%, 78% of the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Australia's 68.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 91.0%, 75% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 73.3% | 73.1% | 73.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 71.1% | 69.5% | 72.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.5% | 68.9% | 70.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.3% | 68.2% | 70.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More education data for Australia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 104,110 (1992)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 316,638 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 292,593 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.65 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4362 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0835 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Australia?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Australia was 68.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 73.4% in 1998.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 68.2% in 2024.
- How does Australia rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Australia ranks 167th out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release