School age population, primary education, both sexes in SDG: World
SDG: World: School age population, primary education, both sexes was 764.35 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
764.35 million
Change on year
up 0.0%
Rank
1st
of 221 groups
All-time high
764.35 million
in 2024
All-time low
491.18 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, primary education, both sexes in SDG: World, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, primary education, both sexes in SDG: World is 764.35 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in SDG: World peaked at 764.35 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 491.18 million, in 1970.
SDG: World ranks 1st of 221 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes in SDG: World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 491.18 million | — |
| 1971 | 505.74 million | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 519.73 million | +2.8% |
| 1973 | 534.95 million | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 550.35 million | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 555.12 million | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 558.33 million | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 563.66 million | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 569.84 million | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 575.47 million | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 581.73 million | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 583.29 million | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 583.07 million | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 580.78 million | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 579.16 million | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 577.35 million | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 576.58 million | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 579.33 million | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 584.37 million | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 591.26 million | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 600.09 million | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 607.56 million | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 614.91 million | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 622.85 million | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 631.04 million | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 639.07 million | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 647.93 million | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 656.61 million | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 663.63 million | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 664.07 million | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 661.37 million | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 660.06 million | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 655.50 million | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 649.07 million | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 666.32 million | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 667.49 million | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 667.99 million | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 671.64 million | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 674.20 million | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 676.64 million | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 680.47 million | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 686.20 million | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 690.49 million | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 695.53 million | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 703.74 million | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 712.44 million | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 721.73 million | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 730.67 million | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 739.12 million | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 748.00 million | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 753.32 million | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 758.67 million | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 761.96 million | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 764.29 million | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 764.35 million | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 542.44 million | 491.18 million | 575.47 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 581.69 million | 576.58 million | 591.26 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 634.78 million | 600.09 million | 664.07 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 665.03 million | 649.07 million | 676.64 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 710.84 million | 680.47 million | 748.00 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 760.52 million | 753.32 million | 764.35 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: World
More education data for SDG: World
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 89.8% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 88.7% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 314.66 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 10.2% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 337.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 206.57 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 34.10 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 404.43 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 213.09 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 199.67 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in SDG: World?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in SDG: World was 764.35 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in SDG: World?
- The highest recorded value was 764.35 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in SDG: World?
- The lowest recorded value was 491.18 million in 1970.
- How does SDG: World rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- SDG: World ranks 1st out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: World 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 — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release