Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates was 112.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Afghanistan, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Afghanistan stood at 112.2%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Afghanistan peaked at 112.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 20.1%, in 1982.
That places Afghanistan 33rd out of 217 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 34.4% | 31.7% | 37.7% | 9 |
| 1980s | 32.0% | 20.1% | 49.5% | 8 |
| 1990s | 35.5% | 26.3% | 47.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 82.3% | 21.5% | 105.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 106.6% | 101.5% | 109.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 112.2% | 112.2% | 112.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More education data for Afghanistan
- Duration of pre-primary education 1 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 55.0% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 42.6% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 112.2% (2023)
- Primary education, teachers 163,167 (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 4.76 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 97.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Afghanistan?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Afghanistan was 112.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 112.2% in 2023.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.1% in 1982.
- How does Afghanistan rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Afghanistan ranks 33rd out of 217 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of children of any age group who are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the official primary school age.