Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 was 39.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
39.3%
Change on year
up 9.9%
World rank
7th
of 185 countries
All-time high
54.8%
in 2012
All-time low
35.7%
in 2021
Years of data
8
2012–2023
Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Papua New Guinea, 2012–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Papua New Guinea is 39.3%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 9.9% on the previous year and down 28.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Papua New Guinea peaked at 54.8% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 35.7%, in 2021.
Papua New Guinea ranks 7th of 185 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 54.8% | — |
| 2014 | 53.0% | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 46.7% | -12.0% |
| 2018 | 40.7% | -12.9% |
| 2019 | 41.5% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 36.6% | -11.8% |
| 2021 | 35.7% | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 39.3% | +9.9% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 39.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.3%, 3.5× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 39.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.6%, 24.8× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 47.3% | 40.7% | 54.8% | 5 |
| 2020s | 37.2% | 35.7% | 39.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 4 Burundi 53.0% compare
- 5 Solomon Islands 51.2% compare
- 6 Cape Verde 44.8% compare
- 8 Equatorial Guinea 38.7%
- 9 Central African Republic 38.2%
- 10 Malawi 35.5% compare
More education data for Papua New Guinea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14,791 (2016)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 80,915 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 226,545 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 208,353 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 655,030 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.65 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 10.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1593 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Papua New Guinea?
- Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Papua New Guinea was 39.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 54.8% in 2012.
- What is the lowest percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.7% in 2021.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 7th out of 185 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release