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.
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
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 33.1% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 63.3% (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Duration of pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 121.1% (2023)
- Primary education, teachers 40,888 (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.07 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 118.9% (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
The share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.