Primary education, pupils in Eswatini

Eswatini: Primary education, pupils was 222,351 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
222,351
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
138th
of 206 countries
All-time high
241,404
in 2015
All-time low
69,055
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2023

Primary education, pupils in Eswatini, 1970–2023

50.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k197019962023

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for primary education, pupils in Eswatini is 222,351, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 7.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Eswatini peaked at 241,404 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 69,055, in 1970.

That places Eswatini 138th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.

Primary education, pupils in Eswatini, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, pupils in Eswatini, 1970 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1970 69,055
1971 71,455 +3.5%
1972 76,343 +6.8%
1973 81,694 +7.0%
1974 86,110 +5.4%
1975 89,528 +4.0%
1976 92,721 +3.6%
1977 96,835 +4.4%
1978 100,700 +4.0%
1979 105,607 +4.9%
1980 112,019 +6.1%
1981 119,913 +7.0%
1982 125,303 +4.5%
1983 129,767 +3.6%
1984 134,528 +3.7%
1985 139,345 +3.6%
1986 142,206 +2.1%
1987 147,743 +3.9%
1988 152,895 +3.5%
1989 157,345 +2.9%
1990 166,454 +5.8%
1991 172,908 +3.9%
1992 180,285 +4.3%
1993 186,271 +3.3%
1994 192,599 +3.4%
1995 201,307 +4.5%
1996 202,439 +0.6%
1997 205,829 +1.7%
1998 208,779 +1.4%
1999 213,041 +2.0%
2000 213,986 +0.4%
2001 212,063 -0.9%
2002 209,037 -1.4%
2003 208,444 -0.3%
2004 218,352 +4.8%
2005 221,596 +1.5%
2006 229,686 +3.7%
2007 232,572 +1.3%
2009 231,349 -0.5%
2010 241,237 +4.3%
2011 239,721 -0.6%
2012 239,422 -0.1%
2013 239,019 -0.2%
2014 240,434 +0.6%
2015 241,404 +0.4%
2016 239,028 -1.0%
2017 237,451 -0.7%
2018 237,074 -0.2%
2019 236,002 -0.5%
2022 222,877 -5.6%
2023 222,351 -0.2%

Eswatini compared with similar countries

  • Eswatini's 222,351 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.66 million, 13% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Eswatini's 222,351 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.40 million, 9% of the median. (47 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 87,005 69,055 105,607 10
1980s 136,106 112,019 157,345 10
1990s 192,991 166,454 213,041 10
2000s 219,676 208,444 232,572 9
2010s 239,079 236,002 241,404 10
2020s 222,614 222,351 222,877 2

Countries ranked near Eswatini

  1. 135 Singapore 238,816 compare
  2. 136 Bulgaria 234,521 compare
  3. 137 East Timor 227,656 compare
  4. 139 Jamaica 211,097 compare
  5. 140 Qatar 180,287 compare
  6. 141 Armenia 160,885 compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Eswatini

All data for Eswatini →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils in Eswatini?
Primary education, pupils in Eswatini was 222,351 in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Eswatini?
The highest recorded value was 241,404 in 2015.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Eswatini?
The lowest recorded value was 69,055 in 1970.
How does Eswatini rank for primary education, pupils?
Eswatini ranks 138th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Eswatini?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Eswatini 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 Eswatini. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-education-pupils/eswatini/

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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.