Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
197
Highest
185.47 million
India
Lowest
324
Niue
Median
1.21 million
Years covered
52
1974–2025
Data points
11,049
What the numbers show
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) is currently reported for 197 countries. The highest value is 185.47 million in India; the lowest is 324 in Niue.
The median across all reporting countries is 1.21 million, and the mean is 6.34 million.
Over the past decade 136 countries rose and 60 fell. The largest increase was in Angola (up 127.3%), and the largest decrease in Albania (down 33.6%).
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 185.47 million | 2025 | down 5.9% | falling |
| 2 | China | 159.15 million | 2025 | up 8.3% | falling |
| 3 | Pakistan | 71.68 million | 2025 | up 14.7% | rising |
| 4 | Nigeria | 55.43 million | 2025 | up 23.1% | rising |
| 5 | United States of America | 50.88 million | 2025 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 6 | Indonesia | 43.11 million | 2025 | up 5.7% | rising |
| 7 | Brazil | 40.92 million | 2024 | down 8.5% | rising |
| 8 | Mexico | 30.64 million | 2024 | down 2.1% | rising |
| 9 | Philippines | 29.94 million | 2025 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 10 | Egypt | 29.89 million | 2025 | up 24.5% | rising |
| 11 | Ethiopia | 25.28 million | 2025 | up 12.7% | rising |
| 12 | Russian Federation | 20.04 million | 2025 | up 26.6% | rising |
| 13 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 19.24 million | 2025 | up 42.7% | rising |
| 14 | Kenya | 16.35 million | 2025 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 15 | Viet Nam | 16.33 million | 2025 | up 14.4% | rising |
| 16 | Türkiye | 15.80 million | 2025 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 17 | Bangladesh | 15.64 million | 2025 | down 8.2% | falling |
| 18 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 13.23 million | 2025 | up 22.7% | rising |
| 19 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 12.66 million | 2025 | up 28.5% | rising |
| 20 | Angola | 10.60 million | 2025 | up 127.3% | volatile |
| 21 | France | 10.47 million | 2024 | up 26.4% | rising |
| 22 | Sudan | 10.26 million | 2025 | up 17.8% | rising |
| 23 | Germany | 10.17 million | 2024 | up 4.2% | falling |
| 24 | Afghanistan | 10.11 million | 2025 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 25 | Argentina | 9.91 million | 2025 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 26 | Colombia | 9.86 million | 2024 | up 24.0% | rising |
| 27 | Uganda | 9.75 million | 2025 | up 23.0% | rising |
| 28 | South Africa | 9.51 million | 2025 | up 5.8% | falling |
| 29 | Algeria | 9.48 million | 2025 | up 46.2% | rising |
| 30 | Yemen | 9.20 million | 2025 | up 28.3% | rising |
| 31 | Japan | 9.17 million | 2025 | down 9.0% | falling |
| 32 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 8.99 million | 2024 | up 11.4% | rising |
| 33 | Ghana | 8.96 million | 2025 | up 17.1% | rising |
| 34 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 8.04 million | 2016 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 35 | Peru | 7.73 million | 2025 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 36 | Côte d'Ivoire | 7.31 million | 2025 | up 18.2% | rising |
| 37 | Uzbekistan | 7.27 million | 2025 | up 11.8% | rising |
| 38 | Iraq | 6.78 million | 2025 | up 20.4% | rising |
| 39 | Thailand | 6.68 million | 2025 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 40 | Italy | 6.45 million | 2024 | down 5.4% | rising |
| 41 | Burkina Faso | 6.44 million | 2025 | up 30.4% | rising |
| 42 | Mali | 6.18 million | 2025 | up 38.6% | rising |
| 43 | Morocco | 5.95 million | 2025 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 44 | Chad | 5.57 million | 2025 | up 40.2% | rising |
| 45 | Nepal | 5.03 million | 2025 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 46 | Senegal | 4.97 million | 2025 | up 24.7% | rising |
| 47 | Saudi Arabia | 4.91 million | 2025 | up 19.8% | rising |
| 48 | Spain | 4.83 million | 2024 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 49 | Cameroon | 4.74 million | 2025 | up 27.7% | rising |
| 50 | Ecuador | 4.63 million | 2025 | down 4.7% | rising |
| 51 | Ukraine | 4.58 million | 2025 | up 4.8% | falling |
| 52 | Malawi | 4.56 million | 2025 | up 17.8% | rising |
| 53 | Myanmar | 4.47 million | 2025 | up 0.4% | falling |
| 54 | Canada | 4.45 million | 2025 | up 15.6% | flat |
| 55 | Somalia | 4.39 million | 2025 | — | rising |
| 56 | Syrian Arab Republic | 4.26 million | 2025 | down 9.9% | rising |
| 57 | Madagascar | 4.07 million | 2025 | up 18.7% | rising |
| 58 | Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | 3.96 million | 2025 | down 7.7% | falling |
| 59 | Zambia | 3.94 million | 2025 | up 26.7% | rising |
| 60 | Republic of Korea | 3.87 million | 2024 | down 13.4% | falling |
| 61 | Sri Lanka | 3.81 million | 2025 | up 17.7% | rising |
| 62 | Australia | 3.64 million | 2024 | up 15.2% | rising |
| 63 | Kazakhstan | 3.54 million | 2025 | up 42.0% | rising |
| 64 | Poland | 3.52 million | 2024 | down 4.9% | falling |
| 65 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 3.41 million | 2025 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 66 | Malaysia | 3.35 million | 2025 | up 2.9% | flat |
| 67 | Zimbabwe | 3.13 million | 2025 | up 14.6% | rising |
| 68 | Chile | 3.03 million | 2025 | up 1.5% | flat |
| 69 | Dominican Republic | 2.83 million | 2025 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 70 | Israel | 2.62 million | 2025 | up 42.2% | rising |
| 71 | Honduras | 2.60 million | 2025 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 72 | South Sudan | 2.46 million | 2025 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 73 | Netherlands | 2.44 million | 2024 | down 4.2% | falling |
| 74 | Togo | 2.38 million | 2025 | up 27.2% | rising |
| 75 | Benin | 2.38 million | 2025 | up 29.7% | rising |
| 76 | Guinea | 2.31 million | 2025 | up 24.1% | rising |
| 77 | Tajikistan | 2.22 million | 2025 | up 36.6% | rising |
| 78 | Romania | 2.14 million | 2024 | down 0.2% | falling |
| 79 | Rwanda | 2.04 million | 2025 | up 14.2% | rising |
| 80 | Jordan | 1.91 million | 2025 | up 20.8% | rising |
| 81 | Sierra Leone | 1.90 million | 2025 | up 16.1% | rising |
| 82 | Tunisia | 1.89 million | 2025 | up 22.9% | rising |
| 83 | Turkmenistan | 1.78 million | 2025 | up 36.2% | rising |
| 84 | Belgium | 1.75 million | 2024 | up 17.2% | rising |
| 85 | Paraguay | 1.67 million | 2025 | up 5.4% | rising |
| 86 | Congo | 1.65 million | 2025 | up 36.6% | rising |
| 87 | Central African Republic | 1.60 million | 2025 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 88 | El Salvador | 1.58 million | 2025 | down 12.9% | rising |
| 89 | Kyrgyzstan | 1.54 million | 2025 | up 41.1% | rising |
| 90 | Haiti | 1.47 million | 2025 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 91 | Azerbaijan | 1.44 million | 2025 | up 25.3% | falling |
| 92 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 1.40 million | 2025 | up 88.0% | rising |
| 93 | United Arab Emirates | 1.37 million | 2025 | up 33.0% | volatile |
| 94 | Palestine, State of | 1.36 million | 2025 | up 25.1% | rising |
| 95 | Libya | 1.26 million | 2025 | up 7.9% | rising |
| 96 | Mauritania | 1.25 million | 2025 | up 35.0% | rising |
| 97 | Sweden | 1.25 million | 2024 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 98 | Belarus | 1.22 million | 2025 | up 45.8% | falling |
| 99 | Hungary | 1.21 million | 2024 | up 13.6% | falling |
| 100 | Czechia | 1.19 million | 2024 | up 33.7% | rising |
| 101 | Austria | 1.16 million | 2024 | up 41.1% | rising |
| 102 | Portugal | 1.16 million | 2024 | down 10.7% | rising |
| 103 | Lebanon | 1.08 million | 2025 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 104 | Cuba | 1.08 million | 2025 | down 5.8% | falling |
| 105 | Switzerland | 1.00 million | 2024 | up 13.2% | flat |
| 106 | Greece | 963,320 | 2024 | down 10.5% | flat |
| 107 | Nicaragua | 931,769 | 2025 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 108 | Costa Rica | 915,781 | 2025 | down 9.0% | flat |
| 109 | Mongolia | 890,973 | 2025 | up 54.5% | rising |
| 110 | Liberia | 872,670 | 2025 | up 14.7% | rising |
| 111 | Oman | 868,421 | 2025 | up 65.4% | rising |
| 112 | Panama | 839,375 | 2025 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 113 | Bulgaria | 748,206 | 2024 | up 17.7% | flat |
| 114 | Finland | 736,649 | 2024 | up 39.2% | rising |
| 115 | Ireland | 729,450 | 2024 | up 14.5% | rising |
| 116 | Eritrea | 702,178 | 2025 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 117 | New Zealand | 683,910 | 2024 | up 14.0% | rising |
| 118 | Slovakia | 645,913 | 2024 | up 19.8% | falling |
| 119 | Norway | 645,419 | 2024 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 120 | Gambia | 644,498 | 2025 | up 27.5% | rising |
| 121 | Uruguay | 644,306 | 2025 | down 7.7% | rising |
| 122 | Denmark | 638,818 | 2024 | down 4.1% | rising |
| 123 | Gabon | 586,856 | 2025 | up 34.9% | rising |
| 124 | Kuwait | 576,542 | 2025 | up 30.7% | rising |
| 125 | Serbia | 523,990 | 2025 | down 6.4% | falling |
| 126 | Georgia | 506,470 | 2025 | up 28.5% | rising |
| 127 | Namibia | 500,912 | 2025 | up 39.8% | rising |
| 128 | Guinea-Bissau | 498,975 | 2025 | up 21.0% | rising |
| 129 | Hong Kong, China | 493,800 | 2025 | up 2.5% | falling |
| 130 | Armenia | 473,011 | 2025 | up 9.2% | falling |
| 131 | Republic of Moldova | 395,758 | 2020 | up 36.6% | rising |
| 132 | Lesotho | 385,939 | 2025 | up 12.3% | rising |
| 133 | Puerto Rico | 381,770 | 2025 | down 33.2% | falling |
| 134 | Qatar | 346,583 | 2025 | up 92.9% | rising |
| 135 | Lithuania | 328,260 | 2024 | up 12.6% | falling |
| 136 | Croatia | 299,633 | 2024 | down 9.4% | falling |
| 137 | Timor-Leste | 287,320 | 2025 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 138 | North Macedonia | 277,807 | 2025 | down 10.7% | rising |
| 139 | Equatorial Guinea | 273,790 | 2025 | up 39.4% | rising |
| 140 | Singapore | 270,394 | 2025 | up 15.0% | rising |
| 141 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 255,567 | 2025 | down 20.8% | falling |
| 142 | Latvia | 229,761 | 2024 | up 8.4% | falling |
| 143 | Albania | 229,018 | 2025 | down 33.6% | falling |
| 144 | Jamaica | 211,441 | 2025 | down 24.0% | falling |
| 145 | Slovenia | 199,639 | 2024 | up 18.5% | rising |
| 146 | Eswatini | 192,215 | 2025 | down 0.8% | flat |
| 147 | Bahrain | 185,493 | 2025 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 148 | Mauritius | 167,599 | 2025 | down 17.2% | rising |
| 149 | Estonia | 140,591 | 2024 | up 22.7% | falling |
| 150 | Trinidad and Tobago | 127,385 | 2025 | down 2.7% | falling |
| 151 | Comoros | 127,119 | 2025 | up 17.1% | rising |
| 152 | Cape Verde | 98,408 | 2025 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 153 | Guyana | 97,346 | 2025 | up 10.7% | falling |
| 154 | Cyprus | 96,414 | 2024 | up 5.4% | falling |
| 155 | Maldives | 86,846 | 2025 | up 104.1% | rising |
| 156 | Luxembourg | 85,846 | 2024 | up 16.1% | rising |
| 157 | Montenegro | 71,067 | 2025 | up 2.1% | falling |
| 158 | Suriname | 65,845 | 2025 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 159 | Macau, China | 64,400 | 2025 | up 54.8% | falling |
| 160 | Belize | 61,140 | 2025 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 161 | Bahamas | 61,030 | 2025 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 162 | Brunei Darussalam | 58,842 | 2025 | down 2.3% | flat |
| 163 | Malta | 51,702 | 2024 | up 12.5% | falling |
| 164 | Iceland | 46,950 | 2025 | up 7.4% | rising |
| 165 | Samoa | 45,846 | 2025 | up 18.7% | rising |
| 166 | Barbados | 36,390 | 2025 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 167 | Tonga | 36,053 | 2025 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 168 | Sao Tome and Principe | 35,220 | 2025 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 169 | Curaçao | 28,000 | 2025 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 170 | Kiribati | 27,364 | 2025 | up 24.1% | rising |
| 171 | Saint Lucia | 21,175 | 2025 | down 19.1% | falling |
| 172 | Grenada | 19,217 | 2025 | down 8.1% | falling |
| 173 | Micronesia, Federated States of | 19,022 | 2025 | down 2.7% | flat |
| 174 | Seychelles | 18,739 | 2025 | up 53.0% | rising |
| 175 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 18,224 | 2025 | down 12.4% | falling |
| 176 | Aruba | 16,691 | 2025 | down 8.9% | falling |
| 177 | Antigua and Barbuda | 12,417 | 2025 | down 15.0% | falling |
| 178 | Marshall Islands | 11,636 | 2025 | down 25.4% | rising |
| 179 | Dominica | 9,905 | 2025 | down 24.1% | falling |
| 180 | Cayman Islands | 9,350 | 2025 | up 13.1% | rising |
| 181 | Bermuda | 8,111 | 2025 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 182 | Andorra | 7,441 | 2025 | down 6.1% | rising |
| 183 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 6,924 | 2025 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 184 | Sint Maarten | 6,702 | 2025 | down 2.2% | rising |
| 185 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 6,533 | 2025 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 186 | Gibraltar | 6,040 | 2025 | up 53.1% | rising |
| 187 | British Virgin Islands | 5,105 | 2025 | down 7.6% | rising |
| 188 | Naoero | 4,134 | 2025 | up 21.5% | rising |
| 189 | Liechtenstein | 3,449 | 2025 | up 1.0% | falling |
| 190 | San Marino | 3,137 | 2025 | down 8.7% | rising |
| 191 | Cook Islands | 2,920 | 2025 | down 17.0% | falling |
| 192 | Palau | 2,766 | 2025 | down 5.0% | falling |
| 193 | Anguilla | 2,134 | 2025 | down 13.9% | falling |
| 194 | Tuvalu | 1,901 | 2025 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 195 | Montserrat | 601 | 2025 | down 15.2% | rising |
| 196 | Tokelau | 471 | 2025 | up 27.0% | rising |
| 197 | Niue | 324 | 2025 | down 5.3% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- SDG: World 1.24 billion
- UIS: World 1.24 billion
- MDG: World 1.24 billion
- WB: World 1.24 billion
- UNICEF: World 1.24 billion
- UNICEF: All Unicef Countries 1.10 billion
- WB: Ida & Ibrd Total 1.09 billion
- WB: Low & Middle Income (july 2025) 1.08 billion
- MDG: Developing Regions 1.07 billion
- WB: Middle Income (july 2025) 952.07 million
- WB: Ibrd Only 717.88 million
- ESCAP: All Countries (unsdcode:98400) 650.09 million
- AIMS: Asia and the Pacific 612.78 million
- WB: Early-demographic Dividend 579.83 million
- ESCAP: Wb Lower Middle Income Economies (wb_lower_mid) (unsdcode:98438) 551.97 million
- WB: Lower Middle Income (july 2025) 530.66 million
- GPE: Overall Fy24, All 90 Countries, December 2024 508.27 million
- WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) 400.29 million
- WB: Global Partnership for Education (july 2019) 379.96 million
- WB: Ida Total 370.49 million
- GPE: Lower Middle Income Wb Fy24, December 2024 338.64 million
- SDG: Central and Southern Asia 321.81 million
- ESCAP: South and South-west Asia (sswa) (unsdcode:98420) 321.29 million
- AIMS: South and West Asia 305.79 million
- MDG: Southern Asia 305.79 million
- SDG: Southern Asia 305.79 million
- UIS: South and West Asia 305.79 million
- GPE: Fragile or Conflict-affected Countries (fcac) Fy24, December 2024 304.12 million
- WB: Late-demographic Dividend 301.71 million
- ECA: African Union Commission (unsdcode:98106) 297.58 million
- ECA: All Countries (unsdcode:98100) 297.58 million
- ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) 297.58 million
- UNICEF: Africa 297.58 million
- ESCAP: Saarc (saarc) (unsdcode:98428) 292.66 million
- UNICEF: South Asia 292.66 million
- WB: East Asia & Pacific 290.97 million
- UNICEF: East Asia and Pacific 290.44 million
- AIMS: East Asia and the Pacific 290.11 million
- UIS: East Asia and the Pacific 290.11 million
- SDG: Eastern and South-eastern Asia 286.53 million
About this data
February 2026 Data Release