Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Australia

Australia: Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both was 312,523 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
312,523
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
73rd
of 222 countries
All-time high
322,891
in 2018
All-time low
258,171
in 2003
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Australia, 2000–2024

0100.0k200.0k300.0k2000201220242000: 266.4k2001: 262.5k2002: 261.1k2003: 258.2k2004: 260.1k2005: 261.6k2006: 261.9k2007: 260.4k2008: 262.9k2009: 268.9k2010: 276.1k2011: 288.7k2012: 293.6k2013: 302.1k2014: 306.3k2015: 313.2k2016: 314.6k2017: 318.3k2018: 322.9k2019: 320.8k2020: 319.9k2021: 321.0k2022: 313.7k2023: 310.8k2024: 312.5k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2024, population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Australia stood at 312,523.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Australia peaked at 322,891 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 258,171, in 2003.

That places Australia 73rd out of 222 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both sexes (number) in Australia, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 266,414
2001 262,541 -1.5%
2002 261,085 -0.6%
2003 258,171 -1.1%
2004 260,095 +0.7%
2005 261,566 +0.6%
2006 261,894 +0.1%
2007 260,384 -0.6%
2008 262,874 +1.0%
2009 268,897 +2.3%
2010 276,083 +2.7%
2011 288,653 +4.6%
2012 293,614 +1.7%
2013 302,145 +2.9%
2014 306,292 +1.4%
2015 313,171 +2.2%
2016 314,636 +0.5%
2017 318,344 +1.2%
2018 322,891 +1.4%
2019 320,779 -0.7%
2020 319,858 -0.3%
2021 321,002 +0.4%
2022 313,661 -2.3%
2023 310,832 -0.9%
2024 312,523 +0.5%

Australia compared with similar countries

  • Australia's 312,523 is above the median for high income countries, which is 40,266, 7.8× the median. (80 countries reporting)
  • Australia's 312,523 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 39,484, 7.9× the median. (36 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 262,392 258,171 268,897 10
2010s 305,661 276,083 322,891 10
2020s 315,575 310,832 321,002 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 70 Rwanda 338,654 compare
  2. 71 Sri Lanka 329,780 compare
  3. 72 Ukraine 326,518 compare
  4. 74 Ecuador 293,469 compare
  5. 75 South Sudan 273,664 compare
  6. 76 Tajikistan 258,160 compare

See the full ranking of 443 places →

More education data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Australia?
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Australia was 312,523 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest population of the official entrance age to primary education, both recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 322,891 in 2018.
What is the lowest population of the official entrance age to primary education, both recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 258,171 in 2003.
How does Australia rank for population of the official entrance age to primary education, both?
Australia ranks 73rd out of 222 countries with data for 2024.
Is population of the official entrance age to primary education, both rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/population-of-the-official-entrance-age-to-primary-education-both-sexes-number-2/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
443 places, 20,728 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release