Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates was 87.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Puerto Rico, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Puerto Rico stood at 87.9%. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Puerto Rico peaked at 114.5% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 87.9%, in 2024.
That places Puerto Rico 192nd out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 113.2% | — |
| 1972 | 114.5% | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 114.1% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 112.5% | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 108.0% | -4.0% |
| 1976 | 106.4% | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 109.5% | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 92.9% | -15.2% |
| 2009 | 97.1% | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 99.2% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 92.8% | -6.4% |
| 2012 | 95.9% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 97.9% | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 99.8% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 100.3% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 94.4% | -5.9% |
| 2018 | 95.1% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 88.1% | -7.4% |
| 2024 | 87.9% | -0.2% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's 87.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 99.8%, 88% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's 87.9% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 99.5%, 88% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 111.2% | 106.4% | 114.5% | 7 |
| 1980s | 92.9% | 92.9% | 92.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 97.1% | 97.1% | 97.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 96.9% | 92.8% | 100.3% | 8 |
| 2020s | 88.0% | 87.9% | 88.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
More education data for Puerto Rico
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 20,845 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 14,445 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 13,807 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 171,527 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 144,542 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -3.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0451 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Puerto Rico?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Puerto Rico was 87.9% 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 Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 114.5% in 1972.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 87.9% in 2024.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Puerto Rico ranks 192nd out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Puerto Rico 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.