Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates was 84.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ethiopia, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ethiopia is 84.4%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ethiopia peaked at 112.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 15.2%, in 1971.
That places Ethiopia 197th out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 15.2% | — |
| 1972 | 16.0% | +5.1% |
| 1973 | 16.4% | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 17.9% | +8.9% |
| 1975 | 19.3% | +7.9% |
| 1976 | 21.1% | +9.4% |
| 1977 | 22.2% | +5.2% |
| 1978 | 21.3% | -4.3% |
| 1979 | 25.0% | +17.7% |
| 1980 | 32.7% | +30.5% |
| 1981 | 38.5% | +17.7% |
| 1982 | 41.0% | +6.6% |
| 1983 | 42.1% | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 40.6% | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 38.0% | -6.5% |
| 1986 | 37.4% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 40.4% | +8.0% |
| 1988 | 41.0% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 39.3% | -4.3% |
| 1990 | 35.7% | -9.2% |
| 1991 | 32.2% | -9.6% |
| 1992 | 26.1% | -19.2% |
| 1993 | 22.7% | -12.9% |
| 1994 | 26.9% | +18.5% |
| 1995 | 30.7% | +14.0% |
| 1996 | 36.3% | +18.5% |
| 1997 | 41.0% | +12.9% |
| 1998 | 49.7% | +21.1% |
| 1999 | 48.2% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 52.2% | +8.4% |
| 2001 | 57.1% | +9.4% |
| 2002 | 59.6% | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 60.7% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 63.6% | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 74.5% | +17.2% |
| 2006 | 79.2% | +6.3% |
| 2007 | 85.5% | +7.9% |
| 2008 | 91.5% | +7.0% |
| 2009 | 90.3% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 88.5% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 90.6% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 89.9% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 93.1% | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 94.1% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 101.2% | +7.6% |
| 2020 | 112.7% | +11.3% |
| 2021 | 101.3% | -10.1% |
| 2022 | 84.6% | -16.5% |
| 2023 | 83.7% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 84.4% | +0.8% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 84.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 96.8%, 87% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 84.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 100.4%, 84% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 19.4% | 15.2% | 25.0% | 9 |
| 1980s | 39.1% | 32.7% | 42.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 35.0% | 22.7% | 49.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.4% | 52.2% | 91.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 92.9% | 88.5% | 101.2% | 6 |
| 2020s | 93.4% | 83.7% | 112.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More education data for Ethiopia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 272,545 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 900,151 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.16 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.03 million (2015)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.93 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1206 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ethiopia?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ethiopia was 84.4% in 2024, 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 112.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.2% in 1971.
- How does Ethiopia rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Ethiopia ranks 197th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.
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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.