Primary education, pupils in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Primary education, pupils was 61.44 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
61.44 million
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
31st
of 45 groups
All-time high
70.49 million
in 1999
All-time low
44.88 million
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Primary education, pupils in Latin America & Caribbean, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2024, primary education, pupils in Latin America & Caribbean stood at 61.44 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 70.49 million in 1999 and was at its lowest, 44.88 million, in 1971.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 31st of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Primary education, pupils in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 50.34 million | — |
| 1971 | 44.88 million | -10.8% |
| 1972 | 46.05 million | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 47.55 million | +3.3% |
| 1974 | 48.61 million | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 49.20 million | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 49.87 million | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 51.66 million | +3.6% |
| 1978 | 53.16 million | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 55.59 million | +4.6% |
| 1980 | 56.81 million | +2.2% |
| 1981 | 57.71 million | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 59.50 million | +3.1% |
| 1983 | 59.28 million | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 60.95 million | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 61.75 million | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 60.25 million | -2.4% |
| 1987 | 62.47 million | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 63.97 million | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 63.26 million | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 65.32 million | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 64.18 million | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 65.22 million | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 65.98 million | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 66.98 million | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 63.73 million | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 64.39 million | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 69.49 million | +7.9% |
| 1998 | 65.02 million | -6.4% |
| 1999 | 70.49 million | +8.4% |
| 2000 | 70.21 million | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 69.94 million | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 70.02 million | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 69.46 million | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 69.55 million | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 69.08 million | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 66.49 million | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 68.57 million | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 68.09 million | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 67.93 million | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 67.24 million | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 66.60 million | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 65.81 million | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 66.06 million | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 65.29 million | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 64.48 million | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 63.93 million | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 63.45 million | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 63.25 million | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 63.09 million | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 62.57 million | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 62.16 million | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 62.03 million | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 61.56 million | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 61.44 million | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 49.69 million | 44.88 million | 55.59 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 60.60 million | 56.81 million | 63.97 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 66.08 million | 63.73 million | 70.49 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 68.93 million | 66.49 million | 70.21 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.92 million | 63.09 million | 67.24 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.95 million | 61.44 million | 62.57 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 28 Madagascar 5.29 million compare
- 29 Cameroon 5.29 million compare
- 30 Sudan 5.23 million compare
- 31 Ghana 4.98 million compare
- 32 United Kingdom 4.86 million compare
- 33 Iraq 4.86 million compare
- 34 Cote d'Ivoire 4.82 million compare
More education data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Population ages 0-14 22.1% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0928 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.34 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1923 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 61.44 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 63.30 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 67.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Primary education, pupils in Latin America & Caribbean was 61.44 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 70.49 million in 1999.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.88 million in 1971.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for primary education, pupils?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 31st out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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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About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.