Population of the official entrance age to primary education, male in South Asia

South Asia: Population of the official entrance age to primary education, male was 17.79 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
17.79 million number
Change on year
down 1.2%
Rank
10th
of 45 groups
All-time high
18.55 million number
in 2012
All-time low
10.21 million number
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019

Population of the official entrance age to primary education, male in South Asia, 1970–2019

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M197019942019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for population of the official entrance age to primary education, male in South Asia is 17.79 million number, measured in 2019.

The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population of the official entrance age to primary education, male in South Asia peaked at 18.55 million number in 2012 and was at its lowest, 10.21 million number, in 1970.

That places South Asia 10th out of 45 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.

Population of the official entrance age to primary education, male in South Asia, year by year

Annual values for Population of the official entrance age to primary education, male (number) in South Asia, 1970 to 2019.
Year number Change
1970 10.21 million number
1971 10.40 million number +1.8%
1972 10.62 million number +2.2%
1973 10.84 million number +2.0%
1974 11.03 million number +1.8%
1975 11.20 million number +1.6%
1976 11.38 million number +1.6%
1977 11.62 million number +2.2%
1978 11.88 million number +2.2%
1979 12.14 million number +2.2%
1980 12.39 million number +2.1%
1981 12.63 million number +2.0%
1982 12.89 million number +2.1%
1983 13.20 million number +2.4%
1984 13.49 million number +2.2%
1985 13.78 million number +2.1%
1986 14.06 million number +2.0%
1987 14.42 million number +2.6%
1988 14.80 million number +2.7%
1989 15.19 million number +2.6%
1990 15.54 million number +2.3%
1991 15.84 million number +1.9%
1992 16.15 million number +2.0%
1993 16.41 million number +1.6%
1994 16.61 million number +1.2%
1995 16.77 million number +1.0%
1996 16.91 million number +0.8%
1997 17.09 million number +1.0%
1998 17.24 million number +0.9%
1999 17.38 million number +0.8%
2000 17.49 million number +0.7%
2001 17.60 million number +0.6%
2002 17.75 million number +0.9%
2003 17.92 million number +0.9%
2004 18.06 million number +0.8%
2005 18.17 million number +0.6%
2006 18.26 million number +0.5%
2007 18.37 million number +0.6%
2008 18.45 million number +0.5%
2009 18.51 million number +0.3%
2010 18.54 million number +0.2%
2011 18.54 million number -0.0%
2012 18.55 million number +0.0%
2013 18.53 million number -0.1%
2014 18.49 million number -0.2%
2015 18.42 million number -0.4%
2016 18.32 million number -0.6%
2017 18.19 million number -0.7%
2018 18.00 million number -1.0%
2019 17.79 million number -1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 11.13 million number 10.21 million number 12.14 million number 10
1980s 13.68 million number 12.39 million number 15.19 million number 10
1990s 16.60 million number 15.54 million number 17.38 million number 10
2000s 18.06 million number 17.49 million number 18.51 million number 10
2010s 18.34 million number 17.79 million number 18.55 million number 10

Countries ranked near South Asia

  1. 7 Ethiopia 1.51 million number compare
  2. 8 Brazil 1.50 million number compare
  3. 9 Bangladesh 1.49 million number compare
  4. 10 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.39 million number compare
  5. 11 Egypt 1.28 million number compare
  6. 12 Philippines 1.18 million number compare
  7. 13 Mexico 1.15 million number compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for South Asia

All data for South Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is population of the official entrance age to primary education, male in South Asia?
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, male in South Asia was 17.79 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest population of the official entrance age to primary education, male recorded in South Asia?
The highest recorded value was 18.55 million number in 2012.
What is the lowest population of the official entrance age to primary education, male recorded in South Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 10.21 million number in 1970.
How does South Asia rank for population of the official entrance age to primary education, male?
South Asia ranks 10th out of 45 groups with data for 2019.
Is population of the official entrance age to primary education, male rising or falling in South Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Asia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of the official entrance age to primary education, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population of the official entrance age to primary education, male in South Asia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/population-of-the-official-entrance-age-to-primary-education-male-number/south-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, male (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
251 places, 12,277 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Male population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to the official entrance age to primary education. The official entrance age is the age at which students would enter a given programme or level of education assuming they start at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, study full-time throughout and progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade. The theoretical entrance age to a given programme or level is typically, but not always, the most common entrance age.