Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Australia
Australia: Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education was 63.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Australia, 1995–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Australia is 63.8%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Australia peaked at 73.3% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 60.3%, in 2007.
That places Australia 20th out of 25 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 65.7% | — |
| 1999 | 73.3% | +11.6% |
| 2003 | 64.3% | -12.2% |
| 2007 | 60.3% | -6.2% |
| 2011 | 62.5% | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 64.0% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 67.6% | +5.5% |
| 2023 | 63.8% | -5.6% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 63.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 72.5%, 88% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 69.5% | 65.7% | 73.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 62.3% | 60.3% | 64.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 64.7% | 62.5% | 67.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 63.8% | 63.8% | 63.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More education data for Australia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 104,110 (1992)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 316,638 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 292,593 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.65 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4362 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0835 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Australia?
- Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in Australia was 63.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 73.3% in 1999.
- What is the lowest proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.3% in 2007.
- How does Australia rank for proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education?
- Australia ranks 20th out of 25 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia 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 mathematics, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release