Share of children in primary school age who are in school in East Timor
East Timor: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 93.1% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in East Timor, 2008–2023
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 East Timor is 93.1%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in East Timor peaked at 96.0% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 88.3%, in 2008.
That places East Timor 139th out of 209 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in East Timor, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 88.3% | — |
| 2009 | 92.7% | +5.1% |
| 2010 | 94.1% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 96.0% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 93.5% | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 93.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 93.2% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 93.3% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 92.8% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 95.1% | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 94.4% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 94.3% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 94.8% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 93.1% | -1.8% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 93.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 93.7%, 99% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 93.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 97.4%, 96% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 90.5% | 88.3% | 92.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 94.0% | 92.8% | 96.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 94.0% | 93.1% | 94.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
- 136 China 93.3%
- 137 Montserrat 93.3% compare
- 138 Seychelles 93.2% compare
- 140 Saint Lucia 93.0% compare
- 141 Trinidad and Tobago 92.8% compare
- 142 Colombia 92.7% compare
More education data for East Timor
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6,182 (2020)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 140 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 13,267 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 13,390 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 162,113 (2020)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 227,656 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.28 % 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 0.1645 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in East Timor?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in East Timor was 93.1% in 2023, 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 East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 96.0% in 2011.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 88.3% in 2008.
- How does East Timor rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- East Timor ranks 139th out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this East Timor 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.