School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
UNICEF: All Unicef Countries: School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes was 390.51 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
390.51 million
Change on year
up 0.5%
Rank
6th
of 221 groups
All-time high
390.51 million
in 2024
All-time low
239.36 million
in 1973
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries stood at 390.51 million. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries peaked at 390.51 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 239.36 million, in 1973.
That places UNICEF: All Unicef Countries 6th 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 UNICEF: All Unicef Countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 242.79 million | — |
| 1971 | 243.92 million | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 240.60 million | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 239.36 million | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 240.76 million | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 251.44 million | +4.4% |
| 1976 | 269.49 million | +7.2% |
| 1977 | 297.18 million | +10.3% |
| 1978 | 302.07 million | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 301.07 million | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 301.48 million | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 305.58 million | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 309.21 million | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 315.74 million | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 317.17 million | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 318.25 million | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 314.51 million | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 313.99 million | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 312.14 million | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 308.98 million | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 307.55 million | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 307.46 million | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 310.39 million | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 316.05 million | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 321.88 million | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 328.63 million | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 332.20 million | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 334.61 million | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 334.40 million | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 341.24 million | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 347.61 million | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 352.63 million | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 355.68 million | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 359.10 million | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 357.89 million | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 353.20 million | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 346.89 million | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 345.29 million | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 344.49 million | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 343.82 million | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 343.77 million | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 345.00 million | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 346.23 million | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 348.69 million | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 349.54 million | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 351.54 million | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 353.43 million | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 357.50 million | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 361.07 million | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 365.65 million | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 372.54 million | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 378.03 million | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 383.27 million | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 388.56 million | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 390.51 million | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 262.87 million | 239.36 million | 302.07 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 311.71 million | 301.48 million | 318.25 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 323.44 million | 307.46 million | 341.24 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 350.66 million | 343.82 million | 359.10 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 352.24 million | 343.77 million | 365.65 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 382.58 million | 372.54 million | 390.51 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
More education data for UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 220.95 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 29.12 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 274.67 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.8422 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 294.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4689 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 178.96 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.1674 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 108.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.85 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries was 390.51 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 390.51 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 239.36 million in 1973.
- How does UNICEF: All Unicef Countries rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- UNICEF: All Unicef Countries ranks 6th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: All Unicef Countries 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
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release