Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Liberia
Liberia: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 50.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Liberia, 1998–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Liberia stood at 50.4%. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 24.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Liberia peaked at 70.2% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 50.4%, in 2020.
That places Liberia 192nd out of 201 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Liberia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 60.4% | — |
| 1999 | 61.6% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 63.6% | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 70.2% | +10.2% |
| 2009 | 66.7% | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 67.4% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 65.0% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 66.7% | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 51.5% | -22.8% |
| 2017 | 51.7% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 50.4% | -2.5% |
Liberia compared with similar countries
- Liberia's 50.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 89.4%, 56% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Liberia's 50.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.0%, 60% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 61.0% | 60.4% | 61.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 66.8% | 63.6% | 70.2% | 3 |
| 2010s | 60.5% | 51.5% | 67.4% | 5 |
| 2020s | 50.4% | 50.4% | 50.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
- 189 Cayman Islands 52.8% compare
- 190 Antigua and Barbuda 51.2% compare
- 191 Gabon 50.9% compare
- 193 Belgium 46.1% compare
- 194 Equatorial Guinea 41.3% compare
- 195 Chile 36.5% compare
More education data for Liberia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 17,857 (2020)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14,815 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 123,519 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 123,876 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 274,573 (2020)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 569,741 (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.417 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.106 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Liberia?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Liberia was 50.4% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 70.2% in 2008.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.4% in 2020.
- How does Liberia rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Liberia ranks 192nd out of 201 countries with data for 2020.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Liberia 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release