School age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: World
UNICEF: World: School age population, one year before the official primary entry was 64.80 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
64.80 million
Change on year
down 2.5%
Rank
5th
of 221 groups
All-time high
66.48 million
in 2022
All-time low
51.26 million
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: World, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: World is 64.80 million, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: World peaked at 66.48 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 51.26 million, in 1971.
That places UNICEF: World 5th 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, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 52.33 million | — |
| 1971 | 51.26 million | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 51.64 million | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 51.70 million | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 51.37 million | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 53.57 million | +4.3% |
| 1976 | 53.71 million | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 54.46 million | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 54.14 million | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 54.12 million | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 54.12 million | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 53.64 million | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 52.96 million | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 52.97 million | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 52.77 million | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 53.36 million | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 54.32 million | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 55.10 million | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 56.03 million | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 57.38 million | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 56.61 million | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 57.53 million | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 58.34 million | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 59.46 million | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 60.47 million | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 60.32 million | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 60.95 million | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 61.54 million | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 59.31 million | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 58.79 million | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 58.61 million | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 58.65 million | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 58.58 million | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 58.45 million | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 58.23 million | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 58.51 million | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 59.41 million | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 59.40 million | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 59.51 million | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 59.86 million | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 60.39 million | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 61.14 million | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 61.94 million | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 62.82 million | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 63.85 million | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 64.47 million | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 64.80 million | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 65.18 million | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 66.32 million | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 66.05 million | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 66.44 million | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 66.21 million | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 66.48 million | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 66.46 million | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 64.80 million | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 52.83 million | 51.26 million | 54.46 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 54.26 million | 52.77 million | 57.38 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 59.33 million | 56.61 million | 61.54 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.92 million | 58.23 million | 59.86 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.70 million | 60.39 million | 66.32 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.08 million | 64.80 million | 66.48 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: World
More education data for UNICEF: World
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 336.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.5772 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 34.04 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 10.49 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 314.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7455 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 268.06 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.3082 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: World?
- School age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: World was 64.80 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: World?
- The highest recorded value was 66.48 million in 2022.
- What is the lowest school age population, one year before the official primary entry recorded in UNICEF: World?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.26 million in 1971.
- How does UNICEF: World rank for school age population, one year before the official primary entry?
- UNICEF: World ranks 5th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, one year before the official primary entry rising or falling in UNICEF: World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: World 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