Primary education, pupils in East Asia & Pacific

East Asia & Pacific: Primary education, pupils was 191.34 million in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
191.34 million
Change on year
up 0.5%
Rank
13th
of 45 groups
All-time high
226.72 million
in 1981
All-time low
157.89 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024

Primary education, pupils in East Asia & Pacific, 1970–2024

050.0M100.0M150.0M200.0M250.0M197019972024

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Analysis

East Asia & Pacific recorded 191.34 million for primary education, pupils in 2024.

The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 6.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 226.72 million in 1981 and was at its lowest, 157.89 million, in 1970.

That places East Asia & Pacific 13th out of 45 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.

Primary education, pupils in East Asia & Pacific, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, pupils in East Asia & Pacific, 1970 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1970 157.89 million —
1971 166.99 million +5.8%
1972 175.29 million +5.0%
1973 189.83 million +8.3%
1974 200.84 million +5.8%
1975 211.76 million +5.4%
1976 219.74 million +3.8%
1977 221.01 million +0.6%
1978 220.10 million -0.4%
1979 221.77 million +0.8%
1980 225.00 million +1.5%
1981 226.72 million +0.8%
1982 225.77 million -0.4%
1983 223.05 million -1.2%
1984 219.89 million -1.4%
1985 219.81 million -0.0%
1986 217.59 million -1.0%
1987 216.20 million -0.6%
1988 213.07 million -1.5%
1989 210.52 million -1.2%
1990 208.46 million -1.0%
1991 207.84 million -0.3%
1992 207.59 million -0.1%
1993 208.34 million +0.4%
1994 210.79 million +1.2%
1995 214.46 million +1.7%
1996 218.11 million +1.7%
1997 222.24 million +1.9%
1998 226.27 million +1.8%
1999 226.07 million -0.1%
2000 220.86 million -2.3%
2001 216.12 million -2.1%
2002 205.50 million -4.9%
2003 193.55 million -5.8%
2004 204.93 million +5.9%
2005 197.85 million -3.5%
2006 192.99 million -2.5%
2007 191.88 million -0.6%
2008 189.85 million -1.1%
2009 187.68 million -1.1%
2010 185.48 million -1.2%
2011 184.49 million -0.5%
2012 184.35 million -0.1%
2013 183.00 million -0.7%
2014 179.67 million -1.8%
2015 180.31 million +0.4%
2016 182.31 million +1.1%
2017 184.07 million +1.0%
2018 185.29 million +0.7%
2019 188.09 million +1.5%
2020 190.17 million +1.1%
2021 191.36 million +0.6%
2022 191.51 million +0.1%
2023 190.44 million -0.6%
2024 191.34 million +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 198.52 million 157.89 million 221.77 million 10
1980s 219.76 million 210.52 million 226.72 million 10
1990s 215.02 million 207.59 million 226.27 million 10
2000s 200.12 million 187.68 million 220.86 million 10
2010s 183.71 million 179.67 million 188.09 million 10
2020s 190.96 million 190.17 million 191.51 million 5

Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific

  1. 10 Egypt 15.40 million compare
  2. 11 Brazil 15.11 million compare
  3. 12 Mexico 13.19 million compare
  4. 13 Philippines 13.06 million compare
  5. 14 Tanzania 11.39 million compare
  6. 15 Iran 9.09 million compare
  7. 16 Vietnam 8.88 million compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for East Asia & Pacific

All data for East Asia & Pacific →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils in East Asia & Pacific?
Primary education, pupils in East Asia & Pacific was 191.34 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
The highest recorded value was 226.72 million in 1981.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
The lowest recorded value was 157.89 million in 1970.
How does East Asia & Pacific rank for primary education, pupils?
East Asia & Pacific ranks 13th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this East Asia & Pacific 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.

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Primary education, pupils in East Asia & Pacific. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 24 October 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-education-pupils/east-asia-and-pacific/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary education, pupils
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
251 places, 11,297 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.