Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Guatemala
Guatemala: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 91.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Guatemala, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Guatemala recorded 91.6% for share of children in primary school age who are in school in 2024.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Guatemala peaked at 97.6% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1820.
That places Guatemala 146th out of 209 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.9% | 2 |
| 1830s | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 2 |
| 1840s | 3.8% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 2 |
| 1850s | 5.7% | 5.1% | 6.2% | 2 |
| 1860s | 8.3% | 7.5% | 9.1% | 2 |
| 1870s | 12.1% | 11.0% | 13.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 17.1% | 15.7% | 18.6% | 2 |
| 1890s | 31.7% | 30.4% | 33.0% | 2 |
| 1900s | 21.3% | 21.1% | 21.6% | 2 |
| 1910s | 24.0% | 22.1% | 25.8% | 2 |
| 1920s | 25.4% | 16.4% | 34.5% | 2 |
| 1930s | 27.6% | 26.5% | 28.8% | 2 |
| 1940s | 24.7% | 20.1% | 29.2% | 2 |
| 1950s | 32.4% | 29.7% | 35.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 40.9% | 38.7% | 43.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 52.1% | 48.1% | 57.3% | 7 |
| 1980s | 61.7% | 59.6% | 64.2% | 4 |
| 1990s | 76.9% | 71.2% | 82.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 91.0% | 83.9% | 96.0% | 8 |
| 2010s | 91.5% | 88.6% | 97.6% | 9 |
| 2020s | 91.3% | 90.2% | 91.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 143 New Caledonia 92.6% compare
- 144 Panama 92.3% compare
- 145 Kazakhstan 92.1% compare
- 147 Niue 91.6% compare
- 149 Mongolia 91.4% compare
More education data for Guatemala
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 64.0% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 31.0% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 101.5% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 122,362 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 2.29 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 100.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Guatemala?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Guatemala was 91.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 97.6% in 2011.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1820.
- How does Guatemala rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Guatemala ranks 146th out of 209 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Guatemala data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.