School age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries
UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries: School age population, one year before the official primary entry was 5.49 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
School age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, school age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries stood at 5.49 million.
The figure is down 2.8% on the previous year and up 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries peaked at 5.66 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.65 million, in 1970.
That places UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries 107th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.65 million | — |
| 1971 | 2.69 million | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 2.74 million | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 2.80 million | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 2.85 million | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 2.91 million | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 2.97 million | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 3.03 million | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 3.08 million | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 3.14 million | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 3.22 million | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 3.31 million | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 3.40 million | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 3.50 million | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 3.61 million | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 3.74 million | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 3.85 million | +3.0% |
| 1987 | 3.95 million | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 4.08 million | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 4.17 million | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 4.26 million | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 4.29 million | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 4.32 million | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 4.33 million | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 4.35 million | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 4.35 million | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 4.34 million | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 4.31 million | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 4.24 million | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 4.19 million | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 4.10 million | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 4.05 million | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 4.02 million | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 4.03 million | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 4.07 million | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 4.12 million | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 4.18 million | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 4.23 million | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 4.27 million | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 4.35 million | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 4.43 million | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 4.54 million | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 4.67 million | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 4.81 million | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 4.96 million | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 5.08 million | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 5.20 million | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 5.31 million | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 5.44 million | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 5.54 million | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 5.62 million | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 5.66 million | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 5.64 million | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 5.65 million | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 5.49 million | -2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.89 million | 2.65 million | 3.14 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.68 million | 3.22 million | 4.17 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.30 million | 4.19 million | 4.35 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.14 million | 4.02 million | 4.35 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.00 million | 4.43 million | 5.54 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.61 million | 5.49 million | 5.66 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries
More education data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 17.93 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 22.79 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 24.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.22 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.3301 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 8.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 5.99 % change on previous year (2024)
All data for UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries →
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- School age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries was 5.49 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, one year before the official primary entry recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 5.66 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest school age population, one year before the official primary entry recorded in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.65 million in 1970.
- How does UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries rank for school age population, one year before the official primary entry?
- UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries ranks 107th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, one year before the official primary entry rising or falling in UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Middle East and North Africa Programme Countries data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, one year before the official primary entry age, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release