Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia
SDG: Southern Asia: Population of compulsory school age, both sexes was 305.79 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia, 1997–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
SDG: Southern Asia recorded 305.79 million for population of compulsory school age, both sexes in 2024.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia peaked at 306.62 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 78.24 million, in 1997.
That places SDG: Southern Asia 24th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 78.24 million | — |
| 1998 | 78.24 million | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 79.37 million | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 291.54 million | +267.3% |
| 2011 | 295.63 million | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 296.53 million | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 298.28 million | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 298.77 million | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 304.74 million | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 305.52 million | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 305.32 million | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 305.42 million | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 305.72 million | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 306.10 million | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 306.62 million | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 306.56 million | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 306.20 million | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 305.79 million | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 78.62 million | 78.24 million | 79.37 million | 3 |
| 2010s | 300.75 million | 291.54 million | 305.72 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 306.25 million | 305.79 million | 306.62 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Southern Asia
More education data for SDG: Southern Asia
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 7.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.70 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 88.16 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.205 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 94.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 54.48 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 28.18 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population of compulsory school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia?
- Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in SDG: Southern Asia was 305.79 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 306.62 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 78.24 million in 1997.
- How does SDG: Southern Asia rank for population of compulsory school age, both sexes?
- SDG: Southern Asia ranks 24th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is population of compulsory school age, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Southern Asia 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.
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CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release