School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500): School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes was 26.22 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
26.22 million
Change on year
up 1.0%
Rank
141st
of 221 groups
All-time high
26.22 million
in 2024
All-time low
9.88 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) is 26.22 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 28.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) peaked at 26.22 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.88 million, in 1970.
ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 141st of 221 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 9.88 million | — |
| 1971 | 9.99 million | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 10.17 million | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 10.40 million | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 10.66 million | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 10.96 million | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 11.26 million | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 11.52 million | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 11.71 million | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 11.93 million | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 12.15 million | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 12.39 million | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 12.62 million | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 12.86 million | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 13.12 million | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 13.41 million | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 13.67 million | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 13.97 million | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 14.29 million | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 14.63 million | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 15.11 million | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 14.68 million | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 15.04 million | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 15.36 million | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 15.72 million | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 16.05 million | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 16.40 million | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 16.73 million | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 17.03 million | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 17.35 million | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 17.63 million | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 17.79 million | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 18.02 million | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 19.19 million | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 19.39 million | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 19.61 million | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 19.77 million | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 19.82 million | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 19.97 million | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 20.10 million | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 20.28 million | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 20.51 million | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 20.79 million | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 21.09 million | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 20.38 million | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 20.65 million | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 21.00 million | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 21.40 million | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 21.85 million | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 22.32 million | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 24.07 million | +7.8% |
| 2021 | 24.72 million | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 25.36 million | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 25.97 million | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 26.22 million | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.85 million | 9.88 million | 11.93 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.31 million | 12.15 million | 14.63 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.95 million | 14.68 million | 17.35 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.13 million | 17.63 million | 20.10 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.03 million | 20.28 million | 22.32 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.27 million | 24.07 million | 26.22 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
More education data for ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 2.28 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 88.8% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 16.59 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 9.6% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 17.81 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 5.68 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female 23.71 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 11.98 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 11.49 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes 12.84 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) was 26.22 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The highest recorded value was 26.22 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.88 million in 1970.
- How does ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) ranks 141st out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ESCWA: All Countries (unsdcode:98500) 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release