Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Iraq
Iraq: Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates was 104.6% in 2007. ▲ Rising
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Iraq, 1971–2007
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 104.6% for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in 2007.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.3% on the previous year and up 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Iraq peaked at 111.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 69.8%, in 1971.
Iraq ranks 69th of 217 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Iraq, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 69.8% | — |
| 1972 | 70.4% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 71.0% | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 72.5% | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 75.8% | +4.4% |
| 1976 | 85.2% | +12.5% |
| 1977 | 90.3% | +6.0% |
| 1978 | 91.5% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 106.0% | +15.9% |
| 1980 | 108.9% | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 105.6% | -3.0% |
| 1982 | 103.5% | -2.0% |
| 1983 | 100.2% | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 100.4% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 99.9% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 101.0% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 102.1% | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 103.1% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 102.2% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 111.0% | +8.6% |
| 1992 | 92.4% | -16.7% |
| 1993 | 91.1% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 82.6% | -9.4% |
| 1999 | 92.4% | +11.9% |
| 2000 | 89.9% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 96.5% | +7.3% |
| 2004 | 95.6% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 104.6% | +9.3% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 104.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 101.1%, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 104.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 97.6%, 1.1× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 81.4% | 69.8% | 106.0% | 9 |
| 1980s | 102.7% | 99.9% | 108.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 93.9% | 82.6% | 111.0% | 5 |
| 2000s | 96.7% | 89.9% | 104.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More education data for Iraq
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 148,363 (2007)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 818,729 (2007)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 55,944 (2007)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 52,985 (2007)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.04 million (2007)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2007)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.26 % change on previous year (2004)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2007)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1713 units per person (2007)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Iraq?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Iraq was 104.6% in 2007, 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 111.0% in 1991.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.8% in 1971.
- How does Iraq rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Iraq ranks 69th out of 217 countries with data for 2007.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq 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.