Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) (school both) in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500): Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) (school both) was 81.84 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), 1997–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) is 81.84 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is up 31.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) peaked at 81.84 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 41.14 million, in 1997.
That places ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) 134th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) (school both) in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 41.14 million | — |
| 1998 | 41.14 million | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 41.65 million | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 44.03 million | +5.7% |
| 2001 | 45.16 million | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 47.12 million | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 47.40 million | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 47.79 million | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 53.44 million | +11.8% |
| 2006 | 53.87 million | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 54.17 million | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 54.65 million | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 55.33 million | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 57.79 million | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 58.57 million | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 59.85 million | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 61.02 million | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 62.32 million | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 69.68 million | +11.8% |
| 2016 | 71.18 million | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 72.85 million | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 74.38 million | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 75.98 million | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 77.73 million | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 79.26 million | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 80.68 million | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 81.84 million | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 81.84 million | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 41.31 million | 41.14 million | 41.65 million | 3 |
| 2000s | 50.30 million | 44.03 million | 55.33 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.36 million | 57.79 million | 75.98 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.27 million | 77.73 million | 81.84 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
More education data for ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 25.89 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 16.59 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.304 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.6427 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 34.40 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4368 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 49.61 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 23.71 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) was 81.84 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The highest recorded value was 81.84 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.14 million in 1997.
- How does ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) rank for population of compulsory school age, both sexes?
- ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 134th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is population of compulsory school age, both sexes rising or falling in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release