Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Uganda
Uganda: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 95.9% in 2013. ◆ Volatile
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Uganda, 1820–2013
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 Uganda is 95.9%, measured in 2013. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and up 1.3% over five years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Uganda peaked at 95.9% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
That places Uganda 111th out of 209 countries with data for 2013, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 0.0% | — |
| 1825 | 0.0% | — |
| 1830 | 0.0% | — |
| 1835 | 0.0% | — |
| 1840 | 0.0% | — |
| 1845 | 0.0% | — |
| 1850 | 0.0% | — |
| 1855 | 0.0% | — |
| 1860 | 0.0% | — |
| 1865 | 0.0% | — |
| 1870 | 0.0% | — |
| 1875 | 0.0% | — |
| 1880 | 0.0% | — |
| 1885 | 0.0% | — |
| 1890 | 0.0% | — |
| 1895 | 0.0% | — |
| 1900 | 0.0% | — |
| 1905 | 0.0% | — |
| 1910 | 0.0% | — |
| 1915 | 0.0% | — |
| 1920 | 0.0% | — |
| 1925 | 2.8% | — |
| 1930 | 2.8% | -2.8% |
| 1935 | 3.5% | +28.7% |
| 1940 | 7.3% | +105.9% |
| 1945 | 16.8% | +130.9% |
| 1950 | 25.9% | +53.7% |
| 1955 | 34.9% | +34.9% |
| 1960 | 39.0% | +11.7% |
| 1965 | 53.3% | +36.7% |
| 1970 | 30.2% | -43.3% |
| 1975 | 35.0% | +15.8% |
| 1979 | 34.7% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 39.0% | +12.5% |
| 1981 | 38.1% | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 40.0% | +5.1% |
| 1986 | 55.6% | +38.8% |
| 2009 | 94.6% | +70.3% |
| 2010 | 91.1% | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 94.4% | +3.6% |
| 2013 | 95.9% | +1.6% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 95.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 69.5%, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 95.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 84.5%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1830s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1920s | 1.4% | 0.0% | 2.8% | 2 |
| 1930s | 3.1% | 2.8% | 3.5% | 2 |
| 1940s | 12.1% | 7.3% | 16.8% | 2 |
| 1950s | 30.4% | 25.9% | 34.9% | 2 |
| 1960s | 46.2% | 39.0% | 53.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 33.3% | 30.2% | 35.0% | 3 |
| 1980s | 43.2% | 38.1% | 55.6% | 4 |
| 2000s | 94.6% | 94.6% | 94.6% | 1 |
| 2010s | 93.8% | 91.1% | 95.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
- 108 United States 96.0% compare
- 109 Papua New Guinea 96.0% compare
- 110 French Polynesia 95.9% compare
- 112 Tajikistan 95.8% compare
- 113 Jamaica 95.7% compare
- 114 Costa Rica 95.5% compare
More education data for Uganda
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 63,957 (2014)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 778,349 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 301,523 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 307,450 (2017)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.03 million (2007)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 8.84 million (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.13 % change on previous year (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.22 units per person (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Uganda?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Uganda was 95.9% in 2013, 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 Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 95.9% in 2013.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Uganda rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Uganda ranks 111th out of 209 countries with data for 2013.
- Where does this Uganda 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.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.