School age population, primary education, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries
ALECSO: Least Developed Countries: School age population, primary education, both sexes was 16.21 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
16.21 million
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
179th
of 221 groups
All-time high
16.70 million
in 2022
All-time low
6.76 million
in 1977
Years of data
48
1977–2024
School age population, primary education, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries, 1977–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, primary education, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries is 16.21 million, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries peaked at 16.70 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 6.76 million, in 1977.
ALECSO: Least Developed Countries ranks 179th of 221 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 6.76 million | — |
| 1978 | 6.85 million | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 7.00 million | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 7.19 million | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 7.30 million | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 7.35 million | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 7.46 million | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 7.57 million | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 7.71 million | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 7.87 million | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 8.04 million | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 8.20 million | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 8.30 million | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 8.44 million | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 8.58 million | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 8.64 million | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 8.75 million | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 8.96 million | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 9.11 million | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 9.27 million | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 9.40 million | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 9.53 million | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 9.80 million | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 10.11 million | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 10.42 million | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 10.72 million | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 11.01 million | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 11.27 million | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 11.52 million | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 11.73 million | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 11.95 million | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 12.17 million | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 12.47 million | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 12.78 million | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 13.09 million | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 13.33 million | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 13.64 million | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 13.96 million | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 14.27 million | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 14.58 million | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 14.89 million | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 15.17 million | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 15.50 million | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 15.86 million | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 16.25 million | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 16.70 million | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 16.21 million | -2.9% |
| 2024 | 16.21 million | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.87 million | 6.76 million | 7.00 million | 3 |
| 1980s | 7.70 million | 7.19 million | 8.30 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.05 million | 8.44 million | 9.80 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.34 million | 10.11 million | 12.47 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.12 million | 12.78 million | 15.50 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.25 million | 15.86 million | 16.70 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ALECSO: Least Developed Countries
More education data for ALECSO: Least Developed Countries
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 98.9% (2020)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 98.4% (2020)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 2.42 million (2020)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 1.1% (2020)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 2.75 million (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 1.25 million (2020)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 376,949 (2020)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 5.48 million (2020)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 3.85 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 3.74 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries was 16.21 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 16.70 million in 2022.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.76 million in 1977.
- How does ALECSO: Least Developed Countries rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- ALECSO: Least Developed Countries ranks 179th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in ALECSO: Least Developed Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ALECSO: Least Developed Countries data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release