Primary education, pupils in Switzerland
Switzerland: Primary education, pupils was 556,945 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
556,945
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
107th
of 206 countries
All-time high
561,773
in 1974
All-time low
373,245
in 1987
Years of data
51
1973–2024
Primary education, pupils in Switzerland, 1973–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary education, pupils in Switzerland is 556,945, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Switzerland peaked at 561,773 in 1974 and was at its lowest, 373,245, in 1987.
Switzerland ranks 107th of 206 countries on this measure, 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 Switzerland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 557,856 | — |
| 1974 | 561,773 | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 561,645 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 556,885 | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 503,153 | -9.6% |
| 1978 | 502,337 | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 485,902 | -3.3% |
| 1980 | 468,531 | -3.6% |
| 1981 | 450,942 | -3.8% |
| 1982 | 434,288 | -3.7% |
| 1983 | 415,478 | -4.3% |
| 1984 | 398,931 | -4.0% |
| 1985 | 385,474 | -3.4% |
| 1986 | 376,512 | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 373,245 | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 375,302 | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 383,042 | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 394,061 | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 404,154 | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 414,129 | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 443,512 | +7.1% |
| 1994 | 447,240 | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 461,805 | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 477,643 | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 522,741 | +9.4% |
| 1999 | 529,610 | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 538,372 | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 537,744 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 536,423 | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 535,577 | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 532,092 | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 524,222 | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 517,056 | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 510,804 | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 505,382 | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 499,435 | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 492,508 | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 487,436 | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 483,466 | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 483,707 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 483,900 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 490,469 | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 498,338 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 507,686 | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 514,664 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 521,087 | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 527,955 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 533,258 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 538,543 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 549,595 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 556,945 | +1.3% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 556,945 is above the median for high income countries, which is 236,668, 2.4× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 556,945 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 432,238, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 532,793 | 485,902 | 561,773 | 7 |
| 1980s | 406,174 | 373,245 | 468,531 | 10 |
| 1990s | 454,988 | 394,061 | 529,610 | 9 |
| 2000s | 523,711 | 499,435 | 538,372 | 10 |
| 2010s | 496,326 | 483,466 | 521,087 | 10 |
| 2020s | 541,259 | 527,955 | 556,945 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More education data for Switzerland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 68,266 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 5,583 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 94,990 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 89,549 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 636,381 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 556,945 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0618 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in Switzerland?
- Primary education, pupils in Switzerland was 556,945 in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 561,773 in 1974.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 373,245 in 1987.
- How does Switzerland rank for primary education, pupils?
- Switzerland ranks 107th out of 206 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.