Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Yemen
Yemen: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 69.4% in 2016. ◆ Volatile
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Yemen, 1820–2016
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Yemen recorded 69.4% for share of children in primary school age who are in school in 2016.
That represents a change of down 3.8% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Yemen peaked at 72.1% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
That places Yemen 194th out of 209 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the bottom 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 | 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 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 2 |
| 1920s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 2 |
| 1930s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 2 |
| 1940s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 2.8% | 2 |
| 1950s | 15.8% | 11.5% | 20.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 6.4% | 6.0% | 6.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 15.4% | 9.0% | 21.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 35.2% | 35.2% | 35.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 50.1% | 50.1% | 50.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 65.0% | 58.1% | 68.6% | 5 |
| 2010s | 70.9% | 69.4% | 72.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Yemen
- 191 British Virgin Islands 73.0% compare
- 192 Solomon Islands 69.9% compare
- 193 Guinea-Bissau 69.5% compare
- 195 Lesotho 67.8% compare
- 196 Mali 66.0% compare
- 197 Burkina Faso 65.7% compare
More education data for Yemen
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 41.0% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 77.0% (2016)
- Primary education, teachers 144,824 (2016)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 4.5 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 71.9% (2016)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Yemen?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Yemen was 69.4% in 2016, 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 Yemen?
- The highest recorded value was 72.1% in 2013.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Yemen?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Yemen rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Yemen ranks 194th out of 209 countries with data for 2016.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Yemen?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Yemen 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.