Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Italy
Italy: Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education was 97.1% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
97.1%
World rank
2nd
of 13 countries
All-time high
97.9%
in 2006
All-time low
96.3%
in 2001
Years of data
5
2001–2021
Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Italy, 2001–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Italy stood at 97.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Italy peaked at 97.9% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 96.3%, in 2001.
Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Italy, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 96.3% | — |
| 2006 | 97.9% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 97.4% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 97.7% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 97.1% | -0.7% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 97.1% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 95.7%, 1.0× the median. (10 countries reporting)
- Italy's 97.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 94.8%, 1.0× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 97.1% | 96.3% | 97.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 97.6% | 97.4% | 97.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 97.1% | 97.1% | 97.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 1 Russian Federation 98.0% compare
- 3 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 96.9% compare
- 4 Lithuania 96.8% compare
- 5 Netherlands 96.2% compare
More education data for Italy
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 423,797 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 6,592 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 667,641 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 620,157 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.63 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.167 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0445 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Italy?
- Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Italy was 97.1% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education recorded in Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 97.9% in 2006.
- What is the lowest proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.3% in 2001.
- How does Italy rank for proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education?
- Italy ranks 2nd out of 13 countries with data for 2021.
- Is proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Italy data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education prepared for the future in reading, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release