Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 53.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Ethiopia, 1998–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Ethiopia stood at 53.0%.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Ethiopia peaked at 63.9% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 52.4%, in 2012.
That places Ethiopia 23rd out of 200 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 63.9% | — |
| 2003 | 58.4% | -8.7% |
| 2004 | 55.6% | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 54.2% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 53.2% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 52.6% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 52.6% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 52.7% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 52.4% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 52.8% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 52.9% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 53.1% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 53.0% | -0.2% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 53.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 51.5%, 1.0× the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 53.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 51.5%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 63.9% | 63.9% | 63.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 54.8% | 52.6% | 58.4% | 5 |
| 2010s | 52.7% | 52.4% | 52.9% | 5 |
| 2020s | 53.0% | 53.0% | 53.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More education data for Ethiopia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 272,545 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 900,151 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.16 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.03 million (2015)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.93 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1206 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Ethiopia?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Ethiopia was 53.0% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 63.9% in 1998.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.4% in 2012.
- How does Ethiopia rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Ethiopia ranks 23rd out of 200 countries with data for 2021.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release