School age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
UNICEF: All Unicef Countries: School age population, one year before the official primary entry was 62.91 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
62.91 million
Change on year
down 2.8%
Rank
6th
of 221 groups
All-time high
64.93 million
in 2020
All-time low
48.39 million
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: All Unicef 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 UNICEF: All Unicef Countries is 62.91 million, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 2.8% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries peaked at 64.93 million in 2020 and was at its lowest, 48.39 million, in 1971.
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, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 49.51 million | — |
| 1971 | 48.39 million | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 48.79 million | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 48.85 million | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 48.50 million | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 50.81 million | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 50.97 million | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 51.78 million | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 51.46 million | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 51.43 million | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 51.44 million | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 50.94 million | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 50.23 million | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 50.23 million | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 50.00 million | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 50.63 million | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 51.65 million | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 52.46 million | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 53.45 million | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 54.90 million | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 54.09 million | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 55.10 million | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 56.03 million | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 57.32 million | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 58.51 million | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 58.43 million | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 59.20 million | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 59.91 million | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 57.51 million | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 56.96 million | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 56.78 million | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 56.92 million | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 56.93 million | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 56.87 million | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 56.69 million | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 57.01 million | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 57.98 million | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 57.88 million | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 58.00 million | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 58.35 million | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 58.87 million | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 59.51 million | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 60.30 million | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 61.22 million | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 62.30 million | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 63.01 million | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 63.28 million | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 63.58 million | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 64.87 million | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 64.54 million | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 64.93 million | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 64.49 million | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 64.74 million | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 64.73 million | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 62.91 million | -2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 50.05 million | 48.39 million | 51.78 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.59 million | 50.00 million | 54.90 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.31 million | 54.09 million | 59.91 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.34 million | 56.69 million | 58.35 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.15 million | 58.87 million | 64.87 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.36 million | 62.91 million | 64.93 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
- 3 Nigeria 3.25 million compare
- 4 Pakistan 3.19 million compare
- 5 Indonesia 2.32 million compare
- 6 United States of America 1.96 million compare
- 7 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.82 million compare
- 8 Ethiopia 1.81 million compare
- 9 Bangladesh 1.64 million compare
More education data for UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.6486 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 294.84 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.8422 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 274.67 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 29.12 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 371.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 345.07 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4689 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- School age population, one year before the official primary entry in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries was 62.91 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: All Unicef Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 64.93 million in 2020.
- What is the lowest school age population, one year before the official primary entry recorded in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.39 million in 1971.
- How does UNICEF: All Unicef Countries rank for school age population, one year before the official primary entry?
- UNICEF: All Unicef Countries ranks 6th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, one year before the official primary entry rising or falling in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. 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, 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