Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary was 104.0% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Saudi Arabia, 1979–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 104.0% for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Saudi Arabia peaked at 129.3% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 91.9%, in 1979.
Saudi Arabia ranks 74th of 217 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 91.9% | — |
| 2005 | 115.5% | +25.7% |
| 2007 | 120.9% | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 123.5% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 125.8% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 128.1% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 128.0% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 129.3% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 99.4% | -23.2% |
| 2014 | 100.8% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 101.6% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 103.4% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 106.4% | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 105.8% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 102.7% | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 103.2% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 100.9% | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 102.1% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 104.0% | +1.8% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 104.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 99.8%, 1.0× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 104.0% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 97.6%, 1.1× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in Saudi Arabia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +25.7% | 91.9% | 115.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 91.9% | 91.9% | 91.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 121.4% | 115.5% | 125.8% | 4 |
| 2010s | 110.6% | 99.4% | 129.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 102.5% | 100.9% | 104.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 242,375 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 26,900 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 215,559 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,840 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.45 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0976 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Saudi Arabia?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Saudi Arabia was 104.0% 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 129.3% in 2012.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 91.9% in 1979.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 74th out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.