School age population, primary education, both sexes (number) in Kiribati
Kiribati: School age population, primary education, both sexes (number) was 18,409 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
18,409
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
186th
of 222 countries
All-time high
18,409
in 2025
All-time low
10,524
in 1984
Years of data
56
1970–2025
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Kiribati, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, primary education, both sexes in Kiribati is 18,409, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Kiribati peaked at 18,409 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 10,524, in 1984.
That places Kiribati 186th out of 222 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes (number) in Kiribati, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 11,331 | — |
| 1971 | 11,695 | +3.2% |
| 1972 | 12,015 | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 12,258 | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 12,418 | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 12,381 | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 12,316 | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 12,126 | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 11,798 | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 11,348 | -3.8% |
| 1980 | 11,101 | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 10,842 | -2.3% |
| 1982 | 10,645 | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 10,539 | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 10,524 | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 10,583 | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 10,856 | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 11,221 | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 11,653 | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 12,127 | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 12,623 | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 13,138 | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 13,606 | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 13,959 | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 14,325 | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 14,643 | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 14,943 | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 15,248 | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 15,515 | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 13,623 | -12.2% |
| 2000 | 13,753 | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 13,897 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 14,069 | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 14,276 | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 14,485 | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 14,716 | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 14,954 | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 15,128 | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 15,223 | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 15,200 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 15,107 | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 15,012 | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 14,830 | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 14,758 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 14,839 | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 15,101 | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 15,525 | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 16,161 | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 16,788 | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 17,285 | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 17,631 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 17,948 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 18,131 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 18,258 | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 18,324 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 18,409 | +0.5% |
Kiribati compared with similar countries
- Kiribati's 18,409 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.47 million, 1% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kiribati's 18,409 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 233,762, 8% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11,969 | 11,331 | 12,418 | 10 |
| 1980s | 11,009 | 10,524 | 12,127 | 10 |
| 1990s | 14,162 | 12,623 | 15,515 | 10 |
| 2000s | 14,570 | 13,753 | 15,223 | 10 |
| 2010s | 15,541 | 14,758 | 17,285 | 10 |
| 2020s | 18,117 | 17,631 | 18,409 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kiribati
- 183 Guadeloupe 19,423 compare
- 184 Barbados 19,319 compare
- 185 French Polynesia 18,566 compare
- 187 Martinique 16,650 compare
- 188 Saint Lucia 14,694 compare
- 189 Micronesia (country) 14,212 compare
More education data for Kiribati
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 969 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 608 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 16,846 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 17,457 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.8 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1298 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 17,457 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in Kiribati?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in Kiribati was 18,409 in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 18,409 in 2025.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,524 in 1984.
- How does Kiribati rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- Kiribati ranks 186th out of 222 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kiribati 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 — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release