School age population, one year before the official primary entry in SDG: Least Developed Countries
SDG: Least Developed Countries: School age population, one year before the official primary entry was 15.58 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
15.58 million
Change on year
up 0.6%
Rank
46th
of 221 groups
All-time high
15.58 million
in 2024
All-time low
5.11 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, one year before the official primary entry in SDG: Least Developed Countries, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, one year before the official primary entry in SDG: Least Developed Countries is 15.58 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, one year before the official primary entry in SDG: Least Developed Countries peaked at 15.58 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.11 million, in 1970.
SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 46th of 221 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
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 SDG: Least Developed Countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5.11 million | — |
| 1971 | 5.23 million | +2.3% |
| 1972 | 5.34 million | +2.2% |
| 1973 | 5.47 million | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 5.60 million | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 5.74 million | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 5.89 million | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 6.08 million | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 6.21 million | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 6.35 million | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 6.48 million | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 6.59 million | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 6.66 million | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 6.80 million | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 6.98 million | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 7.19 million | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 7.40 million | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 7.57 million | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 7.75 million | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 7.89 million | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 8.06 million | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 8.21 million | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 8.38 million | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 8.59 million | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 8.80 million | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 9.00 million | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 9.19 million | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 9.35 million | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 9.56 million | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 9.80 million | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 10.03 million | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 10.24 million | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 10.45 million | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 10.70 million | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 10.92 million | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 11.18 million | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 11.44 million | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 11.67 million | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 11.87 million | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 12.08 million | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 12.31 million | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 12.55 million | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 12.82 million | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 13.07 million | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 13.27 million | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 13.49 million | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 13.66 million | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 13.88 million | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 14.15 million | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 14.40 million | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 14.65 million | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 14.93 million | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 15.19 million | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 15.48 million | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 15.58 million | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.70 million | 5.11 million | 6.35 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.13 million | 6.48 million | 7.89 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.89 million | 8.06 million | 9.80 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.06 million | 10.03 million | 12.08 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.36 million | 12.31 million | 14.40 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.17 million | 14.65 million | 15.58 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Least Developed Countries
More education data for SDG: Least Developed Countries
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 39.55 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.9918 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 6.90 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7503 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 0.8795 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.43 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.684 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 36.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7518 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.12 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, one year before the official primary entry in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- School age population, one year before the official primary entry in SDG: Least Developed Countries was 15.58 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 SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 15.58 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, one year before the official primary entry recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.11 million in 1970.
- How does SDG: Least Developed Countries rank for school age population, one year before the official primary entry?
- SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 46th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, one year before the official primary entry rising or falling in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Least Developed 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, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release