School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in Bhutan
Bhutan: School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) was 51,811 in 2025. ▲ Rising
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Bhutan, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Bhutan recorded 51,811 for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in 2025.
That represents a change of down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Bhutan peaked at 65,345 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 19,398, in 1970.
That places Bhutan 159th out of 220 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 19,398 | — |
| 1971 | 20,009 | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 20,643 | +3.2% |
| 1973 | 21,325 | +3.3% |
| 1974 | 22,053 | +3.4% |
| 1975 | 22,836 | +3.6% |
| 1976 | 23,683 | +3.7% |
| 1977 | 24,596 | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 25,582 | +4.0% |
| 1979 | 26,618 | +4.0% |
| 1980 | 27,701 | +4.1% |
| 1981 | 28,819 | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 29,979 | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 31,169 | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 32,393 | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 33,649 | +3.9% |
| 1986 | 43,948 | +30.6% |
| 1987 | 45,637 | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 47,356 | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 49,143 | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 50,992 | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 52,775 | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 53,874 | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 49,922 | -7.3% |
| 1994 | 50,756 | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 50,779 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 50,383 | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 51,675 | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 52,932 | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 54,352 | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 56,628 | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 58,705 | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 60,568 | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 62,345 | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 63,794 | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 64,846 | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 65,345 | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 65,134 | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 64,535 | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 63,663 | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 62,471 | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 61,037 | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 59,568 | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 58,403 | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 57,719 | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 57,548 | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 57,790 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 58,248 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 58,201 | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 57,803 | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 56,876 | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 55,477 | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 52,748 | -4.9% |
| 2023 | 52,046 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 51,830 | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 51,811 | -0.0% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 51,811 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 902,081, 6% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 51,811 is below the median for South Asia, which is 1.56 million, 3% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number) in Bhutan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +30.6% | 33,649 | 43,948 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22,674 | 19,398 | 26,618 | 10 |
| 1980s | 36,979 | 27,701 | 49,143 | 10 |
| 1990s | 51,844 | 49,922 | 54,352 | 10 |
| 2000s | 62,556 | 56,628 | 65,345 | 10 |
| 2010s | 58,879 | 57,548 | 62,471 | 10 |
| 2020s | 53,465 | 51,811 | 56,876 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More education data for Bhutan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6,995 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 9,961 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,905 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6,735 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 67,821 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91,759 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1159 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Bhutan?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in Bhutan was 51,811 in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 65,345 in 2006.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 19,398 in 1970.
- How does Bhutan rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- Bhutan ranks 159th out of 220 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release