Primary education, pupils in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Primary education, pupils was 21.15 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Primary education, pupils in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1971–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 21.15 million for primary education, pupils in 2023. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
The figure is up 4.8% on the previous year and up 67.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 21.15 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.09 million, in 1971.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 7th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary education, pupils in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.09 million | — |
| 1972 | 3.18 million | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 3.29 million | +3.5% |
| 1974 | 3.36 million | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 3.43 million | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 3.54 million | +3.4% |
| 1977 | 3.64 million | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 3.79 million | +4.0% |
| 1979 | 3.92 million | +3.4% |
| 1980 | 4.05 million | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 4.20 million | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 4.34 million | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 4.50 million | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 4.65 million | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 4.52 million | -2.8% |
| 1986 | 4.65 million | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 4.16 million | -10.6% |
| 1988 | 4.36 million | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 3.43 million | -21.3% |
| 1991 | 4.56 million | +33.0% |
| 1992 | 4.62 million | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 4.87 million | +5.4% |
| 1994 | 4.94 million | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 5.42 million | +9.7% |
| 1998 | 4.83 million | -10.9% |
| 1999 | 4.02 million | -16.7% |
| 2002 | 5.46 million | +35.6% |
| 2007 | 8.84 million | +62.0% |
| 2008 | 9.97 million | +12.8% |
| 2009 | 10.24 million | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 10.57 million | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 11.08 million | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 12.00 million | +8.3% |
| 2013 | 12.60 million | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 13.53 million | +7.4% |
| 2015 | 13.76 million | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 16.81 million | +22.1% |
| 2020 | 18.79 million | +11.8% |
| 2021 | 20.17 million | +7.3% |
| 2023 | 21.15 million | +4.8% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 21.15 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 3.01 million, 7.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 21.15 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.40 million, 8.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Primary education, pupils in Democratic Republic of Congo changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +62.0% | 5.46 million | 8.84 million |
| 2002 | +35.6% | 4.02 million | 5.46 million |
| 1991 | +33.0% | 3.43 million | 4.56 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.47 million | 3.09 million | 3.92 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 4.38 million | 4.05 million | 4.65 million | 9 |
| 1990s | 4.59 million | 3.43 million | 5.42 million | 8 |
| 2000s | 8.63 million | 5.46 million | 10.24 million | 4 |
| 2010s | 12.91 million | 10.57 million | 16.81 million | 7 |
| 2020s | 20.03 million | 18.79 million | 21.15 million | 3 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More education data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 621,578 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.99 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,532 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 427,300 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.93 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 21.15 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 7.35 % change on previous year (2021)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1999 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Primary education, pupils in Democratic Republic of Congo was 21.15 million in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 21.15 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.09 million in 1971.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for primary education, pupils?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 7th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 67.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.