Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 84.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia, 2005–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia stood at 84.3%.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia peaked at 92.9% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 83.3%, in 2016.
Saudi Arabia ranks 120th of 201 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 92.9% | — |
| 2007 | 91.8% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 91.9% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 91.2% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 90.8% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 90.3% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 89.9% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 87.9% | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 86.4% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 84.2% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 83.3% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 83.6% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 84.2% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 84.4% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 84.3% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 85.9% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 87.3% | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 84.3% | -3.4% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 84.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 87.7%, 96% of the median. (73 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 84.3% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 83.8%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 91.9% | 91.2% | 92.9% | 4 |
| 2010s | 86.5% | 83.3% | 90.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 85.5% | 84.3% | 87.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 242,375 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 26,900 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 215,559 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,840 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.45 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0976 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Saudi Arabia was 84.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 92.9% in 2005.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 83.3% in 2016.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 120th out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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