School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: World
SDG: World: School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes was 430.53 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
430.53 million
Change on year
up 0.4%
Rank
1st
of 221 groups
All-time high
430.53 million
in 2024
All-time low
280.17 million
in 1973
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: World, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: World is 430.53 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: World peaked at 430.53 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 280.17 million, in 1973.
That places SDG: World 1st out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 283.60 million | — |
| 1971 | 284.73 million | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 281.41 million | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 280.17 million | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 281.57 million | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 292.25 million | +3.8% |
| 1976 | 310.30 million | +6.2% |
| 1977 | 337.99 million | +8.9% |
| 1978 | 342.88 million | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 341.88 million | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 342.29 million | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 346.39 million | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 350.02 million | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 356.55 million | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 357.98 million | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 359.06 million | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 355.32 million | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 354.80 million | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 352.95 million | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 349.79 million | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 348.36 million | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 348.27 million | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 351.20 million | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 356.86 million | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 362.69 million | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 369.44 million | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 373.01 million | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 375.42 million | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 375.20 million | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 382.05 million | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 388.41 million | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 393.42 million | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 397.22 million | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 400.85 million | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 399.20 million | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 394.20 million | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 387.24 million | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 384.99 million | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 383.77 million | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 382.74 million | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 382.37 million | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 383.31 million | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 385.04 million | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 387.05 million | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 387.79 million | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 389.65 million | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 391.42 million | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 395.49 million | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 399.19 million | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 404.04 million | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 411.55 million | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 417.35 million | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 423.16 million | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 428.62 million | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 430.53 million | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 303.68 million | 280.17 million | 342.88 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 352.52 million | 342.29 million | 359.06 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 364.25 million | 348.27 million | 382.05 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 391.20 million | 382.74 million | 400.85 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 390.53 million | 382.37 million | 404.04 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 422.24 million | 411.55 million | 430.53 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: World
More education data for SDG: World
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 129.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 139.06 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 10.50 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 23.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 1.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.1689 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.69 % change on previous year (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 89.8% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: World?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: World was 430.53 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in SDG: World?
- The highest recorded value was 430.53 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in SDG: World?
- The lowest recorded value was 280.17 million in 1973.
- How does SDG: World rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- SDG: World ranks 1st out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: World 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 — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release