Primary education, pupils in North America
North America: Primary education, pupils was 26.20 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
26.20 million
Change on year
down 0.3%
Rank
36th
of 45 groups
All-time high
27.51 million
in 2001
All-time low
21.41 million
in 1979
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Primary education, pupils in North America, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2024, primary education, pupils in North America stood at 26.20 million.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in North America peaked at 27.51 million in 2001 and was at its lowest, 21.41 million, in 1979.
That places North America 36th out of 45 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Primary education, pupils in North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 27.44 million | — |
| 1971 | 24.89 million | -9.3% |
| 1972 | 24.47 million | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 24.58 million | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 23.81 million | -3.1% |
| 1975 | 23.15 million | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 22.66 million | -2.1% |
| 1977 | 22.19 million | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 21.86 million | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 21.41 million | -2.0% |
| 1980 | 22.89 million | +6.9% |
| 1981 | 22.61 million | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 22.91 million | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 22.44 million | -2.0% |
| 1984 | 22.10 million | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 22.12 million | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 22.47 million | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 22.87 million | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 27.27 million | +19.2% |
| 1989 | 27.30 million | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 24.63 million | -9.8% |
| 1991 | 24.81 million | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 27.37 million | +10.3% |
| 1993 | 25.38 million | -7.3% |
| 1994 | 25.62 million | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 26.24 million | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 26.50 million | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 27.44 million | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 27.10 million | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 27.37 million | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 27.43 million | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 27.51 million | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 27.32 million | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 27.15 million | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 26.95 million | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 26.76 million | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 26.63 million | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 26.67 million | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 26.88 million | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 26.78 million | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 26.85 million | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 26.94 million | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 26.81 million | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 26.63 million | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 26.79 million | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 27.09 million | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 27.34 million | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 27.49 million | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 27.37 million | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 27.20 million | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 26.90 million | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 26.30 million | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 25.91 million | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 26.27 million | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 26.20 million | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 23.65 million | 21.41 million | 27.44 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.50 million | 22.10 million | 27.30 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.25 million | 24.63 million | 27.44 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.01 million | 26.63 million | 27.51 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.05 million | 26.63 million | 27.49 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.31 million | 25.91 million | 26.90 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near North America
More education data for North America
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 28.14 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 16.9% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 26.20 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0687 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.2703 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in North America?
- Primary education, pupils in North America was 26.20 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 27.51 million in 2001.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.41 million in 1979.
- How does North America rank for primary education, pupils?
- North America ranks 36th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America 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
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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.