School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes was 1.04 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
1.04 million number
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
23rd
of 204 countries
All-time high
1.04 million number
in 2020
All-time low
265,696 number
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2020

School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan, 1970–2020

200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k1.0M197019952020

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan is 1.04 million number, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 29.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan peaked at 1.04 million number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 265,696 number, in 1970.

That places Afghanistan 23rd out of 204 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.

School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan, year by year

Annual values for School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes (number) in Afghanistan, 1970 to 2020.
Year number Change
1970 265,696 number
1971 272,754 number +2.7%
1972 280,427 number +2.8%
1973 289,762 number +3.3%
1974 300,072 number +3.6%
1975 309,572 number +3.2%
1976 315,189 number +1.8%
1977 320,501 number +1.7%
1978 325,790 number +1.7%
1979 330,022 number +1.3%
1980 331,552 number +0.5%
1981 325,939 number -1.7%
1982 318,550 number -2.3%
1983 311,367 number -2.3%
1984 305,505 number -1.9%
1985 301,385 number -1.3%
1986 297,406 number -1.3%
1987 296,472 number -0.3%
1988 300,169 number +1.2%
1989 310,157 number +3.3%
1990 325,803 number +5.0%
1991 347,921 number +6.8%
1992 376,970 number +8.3%
1993 409,760 number +8.7%
1994 441,192 number +7.7%
1995 467,350 number +5.9%
1996 484,380 number +3.6%
1997 496,145 number +2.4%
1998 507,113 number +2.2%
1999 521,661 number +2.9%
2000 540,832 number +3.7%
2001 560,915 number +3.7%
2002 584,248 number +4.2%
2003 609,533 number +4.3%
2004 632,429 number +3.8%
2005 653,815 number +3.4%
2006 678,724 number +3.8%
2007 707,003 number +4.2%
2008 736,405 number +4.2%
2009 770,406 number +4.6%
2010 807,214 number +4.8%
2011 836,693 number +3.7%
2012 864,822 number +3.4%
2013 893,845 number +3.4%
2014 920,298 number +3.0%
2015 942,958 number +2.5%
2016 966,021 number +2.4%
2017 987,568 number +2.2%
2018 1.01 million number +2.0%
2019 1.03 million number +2.0%
2020 1.04 million number +1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 300,978 number 265,696 number 330,022 number 10
1980s 309,850 number 296,472 number 331,552 number 10
1990s 437,830 number 325,803 number 521,661 number 10
2000s 647,431 number 540,832 number 770,406 number 10
2010s 925,406 number 807,214 number 1.03 million number 10
2020s 1.04 million number 1.04 million number 1.04 million number 1

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 20 Uganda 1.24 million number compare
  2. 21 South Africa 1.08 million number compare
  3. 22 Sudan 1.07 million number compare
  4. 24 Myanmar 940,051 number compare
  5. 25 Iraq 906,208 number compare
  6. 26 Angola 902,999 number compare

See the full ranking of 249 places →

More education data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan?
School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan was 1.04 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 1.04 million number in 2020.
What is the lowest school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 265,696 number in 1970.
How does Afghanistan rank for school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes?
Afghanistan ranks 23rd out of 204 countries with data for 2020.
Is school age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-last-grade-of-primary-education-both-sexes-number/afghanistan/

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About this data

Indicator
School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
249 places, 12,245 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to the last grade of primary school as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.