Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mexico
Mexico: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 99.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mexico, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Mexico recorded 99.6% for share of children in primary school age who are in school in 2024.
The figure is down 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mexico peaked at 99.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 1820.
That places Mexico 23rd out of 209 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
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 | 3.5% | 3.1% | 3.9% | 2 |
| 1830s | 5.5% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 2 |
| 1840s | 8.5% | 7.6% | 9.4% | 2 |
| 1850s | 13.1% | 11.7% | 14.4% | 2 |
| 1860s | 19.5% | 17.6% | 21.3% | 2 |
| 1870s | 26.4% | 25.6% | 27.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 29.3% | 28.5% | 30.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 32.6% | 31.7% | 33.4% | 2 |
| 1900s | 34.8% | 34.5% | 35.1% | 2 |
| 1910s | 34.4% | 33.4% | 35.4% | 2 |
| 1920s | 45.8% | 29.6% | 61.9% | 2 |
| 1930s | 75.5% | 65.1% | 86.0% | 2 |
| 1940s | 67.5% | 66.0% | 69.0% | 2 |
| 1950s | 67.9% | 62.6% | 73.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 62.6% | 58.3% | 67.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 84.3% | 81.0% | 87.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 99.3% | 99.3% | 99.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.8% | 99.7% | 99.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.7% | 99.6% | 99.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More education data for Mexico
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 67.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 24.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 102.3% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 571,832 (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.89 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 102.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mexico?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Mexico was 99.6% 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 99.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 1820.
- How does Mexico rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Mexico ranks 23rd out of 209 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mexico 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.