Primary education, pupils in OECD members
OECD members: Primary education, pupils was 91.38 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
91.38 million
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
26th
of 45 groups
All-time high
104.10 million
in 1980
All-time low
91.21 million
in 2022
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Primary education, pupils in OECD members, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
OECD members recorded 91.38 million for primary education, pupils in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in OECD members peaked at 104.10 million in 1980 and was at its lowest, 91.21 million, in 2022.
OECD members ranks 26th of 45 groups on this measure, 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 OECD members, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 98.55 million | — |
| 1971 | 99.63 million | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 100.13 million | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 100.50 million | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 100.25 million | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 99.96 million | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 100.10 million | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 100.23 million | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 100.30 million | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 101.12 million | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 104.10 million | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 103.28 million | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 103.50 million | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 102.84 million | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 102.27 million | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 101.28 million | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 100.67 million | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 100.67 million | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 104.06 million | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 102.97 million | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 100.07 million | -2.8% |
| 1991 | 99.59 million | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 101.80 million | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 99.46 million | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 99.38 million | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 99.70 million | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 100.23 million | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 101.11 million | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 100.84 million | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 100.90 million | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 100.69 million | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 100.38 million | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 99.87 million | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 99.16 million | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 98.78 million | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 98.31 million | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 97.71 million | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 97.65 million | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 97.63 million | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 97.07 million | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 96.60 million | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 96.25 million | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 95.60 million | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 94.50 million | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 94.10 million | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 94.23 million | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 94.55 million | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 94.57 million | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 94.60 million | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 94.60 million | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 92.90 million | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 91.98 million | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 91.21 million | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 91.57 million | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 91.38 million | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 100.08 million | 98.55 million | 101.12 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 102.56 million | 100.67 million | 104.10 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 100.31 million | 99.38 million | 101.80 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 98.72 million | 97.07 million | 100.69 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 94.96 million | 94.10 million | 96.60 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 91.81 million | 91.21 million | 92.90 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More education data for OECD members
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 116.41 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91.38 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.2049 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 16.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0654 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 6.28 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in OECD members?
- Primary education, pupils in OECD members was 91.38 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 104.10 million in 1980.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 91.21 million in 2022.
- How does OECD members rank for primary education, pupils?
- OECD members ranks 26th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members 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.