Primary education, pupils in Somalia

Somalia: Primary education, pupils was 464,607 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
464,607
World rank
111th
of 206 countries
All-time high
464,607
in 2023
All-time low
42,713
in 1971
Years of data
17
1971–2023

Primary education, pupils in Somalia, 1971–2023

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k1971199720231971: 42.7k1972: 51.1k1973: 68.0k1974: 84.5k1976: 197.7k1977: 229.0k1978: 228.5k1979: 263.8k1980: 271.1k1981: 212.4k1982: 194.2k1983: 182.3k1984: 183.8k1985: 166.3k1986: 153.7k2007: 457.1k2023: 464.6k

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

Analysis

Somalia recorded 464,607 for primary education, pupils in 2023. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Somalia peaked at 464,607 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 42,713, in 1971.

Somalia ranks 111th of 206 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Primary education, pupils in Somalia, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, pupils in Somalia, 1971 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1971 42,713
1972 51,143 +19.7%
1973 67,952 +32.9%
1974 84,507 +24.4%
1976 197,706 +134.0%
1977 229,030 +15.8%
1978 228,544 -0.2%
1979 263,751 +15.4%
1980 271,139 +2.8%
1981 212,395 -21.7%
1982 194,181 -8.6%
1983 182,272 -6.1%
1984 183,836 +0.9%
1985 166,333 -9.5%
1986 153,711 -7.6%
2007 457,132 +197.4%
2023 464,607 +1.6%

Somalia compared with similar countries

  • Somalia's 464,607 is below the median for low income countries, which is 3.01 million, 15% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
  • Somalia's 464,607 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.40 million, 19% of the median. (47 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Primary education, pupils in Somalia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2007 +197.4% 153,711 457,132
1976 +134.0% 84,507 197,706

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 145,668 42,713 263,751 8
1980s 194,838 153,711 271,139 7
2000s 457,132 457,132 457,132 1
2020s 464,607 464,607 464,607 1

Countries ranked near Somalia

  1. 108 Ireland 548,873 compare
  2. 109 Lebanon 533,550 compare
  3. 110 Palestine 514,700 compare
  4. 112 Costa Rica 460,126 compare
  5. 113 Panama 451,308 compare
  6. 114 Belarus 444,044 compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Somalia

All data for Somalia →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils in Somalia?
Primary education, pupils in Somalia was 464,607 in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Somalia?
The highest recorded value was 464,607 in 2023.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Somalia?
The lowest recorded value was 42,713 in 1971.
How does Somalia rank for primary education, pupils?
Somalia ranks 111th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
Where does this Somalia 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 Somalia. 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/somalia-fed-rep/

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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.