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 39.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
39.4%
Change on year
up 10.5%
World rank
8th
of 183 countries
All-time high
54.8%
in 2012
All-time low
35.6%
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
In 2023, percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Papua New Guinea stood at 39.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.5% on the previous year and down 28.1% 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, 35.6%, in 2021.
That places Papua New Guinea 8th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 | 53.8% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 47.1% | -12.3% |
| 2018 | 41.1% | -12.7% |
| 2019 | 41.9% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 36.8% | -12.1% |
| 2021 | 35.6% | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 39.4% | +10.5% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 39.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12.3%, 3.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 39.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.0%, 20.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 47.7% | 41.1% | 54.8% | 5 |
| 2020s | 37.3% | 35.6% | 39.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 5 Solomon Islands 53.2% compare
- 6 Equatorial Guinea 41.4%
- 7 Central African Republic 39.5%
- 9 Cape Verde 37.8% compare
- 10 Malawi 36.8% compare
- 11 Uganda 35.0% 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 39.4% 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 35.6% 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 8th out of 183 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 28.1%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release