Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 96.0% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Papua New Guinea, 1989–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children in primary school age who are in school in Papua New Guinea is 96.0%, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 37.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Papua New Guinea peaked at 99.1% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 67.2%, in 2014.
Papua New Guinea ranks 109th of 209 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 71.1% | — |
| 2012 | 69.8% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 67.2% | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 89.2% | +32.7% |
| 2018 | 99.1% | +11.1% |
| 2019 | 98.4% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 96.8% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 96.0% | -0.9% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 96.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 93.7%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 96.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 97.4%, 99% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 71.1% | 71.1% | 71.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 84.7% | 67.2% | 99.1% | 5 |
| 2020s | 96.4% | 96.0% | 96.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 106 Dominica 96.0% compare
- 107 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 96.0% compare
- 108 United States 96.0% compare
- 110 French Polynesia 95.9% compare
- 111 Uganda 95.9% compare
- 112 Tajikistan 95.8% compare
More education data for Papua New Guinea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14,791 (2016)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 80,915 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 226,545 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 208,353 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 655,030 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.65 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 10.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1593 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Papua New Guinea?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Papua New Guinea was 96.0% in 2021, 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 Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 99.1% in 2018.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 67.2% in 2014.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 109th out of 209 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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
Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.