Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in OECD members

OECD members: Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre was 2.59 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
2.59 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.4%
Rank
39th
of 45 groups
All-time high
2.96 units per square kilometre
in 1980
All-time low
2.58 units per square kilometre
in 2022
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in OECD members, 1970–2023

0123197019962023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.

Analysis

In 2023, primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in OECD members stood at 2.59 units per square kilometre.

The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in OECD members peaked at 2.96 units per square kilometre in 1980 and was at its lowest, 2.58 units per square kilometre, in 2022.

That places OECD members 39th out of 45 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.

Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in OECD members, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in OECD members, 1970 to 2023.
Year units per square kilometre Change
1970 2.8 units per square kilometre
1971 2.83 units per square kilometre +1.1%
1972 2.85 units per square kilometre +0.5%
1973 2.86 units per square kilometre +0.4%
1974 2.85 units per square kilometre -0.2%
1975 2.84 units per square kilometre -0.3%
1976 2.85 units per square kilometre +0.1%
1977 2.85 units per square kilometre +0.1%
1978 2.85 units per square kilometre +0.1%
1979 2.88 units per square kilometre +0.8%
1980 2.96 units per square kilometre +2.9%
1981 2.94 units per square kilometre -0.8%
1982 2.94 units per square kilometre +0.2%
1983 2.93 units per square kilometre -0.6%
1984 2.91 units per square kilometre -0.5%
1985 2.88 units per square kilometre -1.0%
1986 2.86 units per square kilometre -0.6%
1987 2.86 units per square kilometre -0.0%
1988 2.96 units per square kilometre +3.4%
1989 2.93 units per square kilometre -1.1%
1990 2.85 units per square kilometre -2.8%
1991 2.83 units per square kilometre -0.5%
1992 2.88 units per square kilometre +1.7%
1993 2.8 units per square kilometre -2.6%
1994 2.8 units per square kilometre -0.1%
1995 2.81 units per square kilometre +0.3%
1996 2.83 units per square kilometre +0.5%
1997 2.85 units per square kilometre +0.9%
1998 2.84 units per square kilometre -0.3%
1999 2.85 units per square kilometre +0.1%
2000 2.84 units per square kilometre -0.3%
2001 2.83 units per square kilometre -0.3%
2002 2.81 units per square kilometre -0.5%
2003 2.79 units per square kilometre -0.7%
2004 2.78 units per square kilometre -0.4%
2005 2.77 units per square kilometre -0.5%
2006 2.75 units per square kilometre -0.6%
2007 2.75 units per square kilometre -0.1%
2008 2.75 units per square kilometre +0.0%
2009 2.74 units per square kilometre -0.6%
2010 2.72 units per square kilometre -0.5%
2011 2.71 units per square kilometre -0.4%
2012 2.69 units per square kilometre -0.7%
2013 2.66 units per square kilometre -1.2%
2014 2.65 units per square kilometre -0.4%
2015 2.66 units per square kilometre +0.1%
2016 2.66 units per square kilometre +0.3%
2017 2.66 units per square kilometre +0.0%
2018 2.66 units per square kilometre +0.0%
2019 2.66 units per square kilometre +0.0%
2020 2.62 units per square kilometre -1.8%
2021 2.6 units per square kilometre -0.5%
2022 2.58 units per square kilometre -0.8%
2023 2.59 units per square kilometre +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.85 units per square kilometre 2.8 units per square kilometre 2.88 units per square kilometre 10
1980s 2.92 units per square kilometre 2.86 units per square kilometre 2.96 units per square kilometre 10
1990s 2.83 units per square kilometre 2.8 units per square kilometre 2.88 units per square kilometre 10
2000s 2.78 units per square kilometre 2.74 units per square kilometre 2.84 units per square kilometre 10
2010s 2.68 units per square kilometre 2.65 units per square kilometre 2.72 units per square kilometre 10
2020s 2.6 units per square kilometre 2.58 units per square kilometre 2.62 units per square kilometre 4

Countries ranked near OECD members

  1. 36 Togo 30.6 units per square kilometre compare
  2. 37 El Salvador 29.38 units per square kilometre compare
  3. 38 Viet Nam 29.33 units per square kilometre compare
  4. 39 Guam 28.73 units per square kilometre compare
  5. 40 Grenada 27.97 units per square kilometre compare
  6. 41 Sierra Leone 27.95 units per square kilometre compare
  7. 42 Republic of Korea 26.79 units per square kilometre compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for OECD members

All data for OECD members →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in OECD members?
Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in OECD members was 2.59 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest primary education, pupils, per square kilometre recorded in OECD members?
The highest recorded value was 2.96 units per square kilometre in 1980.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils, per square kilometre recorded in OECD members?
The lowest recorded value was 2.58 units per square kilometre in 2022.
How does OECD members rank for primary education, pupils, per square kilometre?
OECD members ranks 39th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
Is primary education, pupils, per square kilometre rising or falling in OECD members?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this OECD members data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre in OECD members. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-education-pupils-per-square-kilometre/oecd-members/

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How this figure is calculated

Primary education, pupils divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Primary education, pupils ÷ Land area (sq. km)

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Primary education, pupils, per square kilometre
Unit
units per square kilometre
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
251 places, 10,846 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Primary education, pupils divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.