School age population, primary education, both sexes in WB: European Union
WB: European Union: School age population, primary education, both sexes was 22.71 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
School age population, primary education, both sexes in WB: European Union, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, primary education, both sexes in WB: European Union is 22.71 million, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in WB: European Union peaked at 25.24 million in 1999 and was at its lowest, 22.71 million, in 2023.
That places WB: European Union 168th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes in WB: European Union, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 25.24 million | — |
| 2000 | 25.24 million | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 24.67 million | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 24.25 million | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 23.90 million | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 23.59 million | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 23.35 million | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 23.19 million | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 23.21 million | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 23.12 million | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 23.04 million | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 22.98 million | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 23.00 million | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 22.98 million | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 23.26 million | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 23.43 million | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 23.67 million | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 23.92 million | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 24.14 million | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 24.17 million | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 24.10 million | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 23.11 million | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 22.85 million | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 22.71 million | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 22.71 million | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 22.71 million | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.24 million | 25.24 million | 25.24 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 23.76 million | 23.04 million | 25.24 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.56 million | 22.98 million | 24.17 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.82 million | 22.71 million | 23.11 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: European Union
- 165 Cape Verde 58,681 compare
- 166 Cyprus 57,568 compare
- 167 Vanuatu 50,665 compare
- 168 Western Sahara 46,721 compare
- 169 Belize 46,333 compare
- 170 Luxembourg 43,358 compare
- 171 Maldives 42,759 compare
More education data for WB: European Union
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 11.33 million (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 3.39 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 233,619 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 7.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6.61 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 23.26 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in WB: European Union?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in WB: European Union was 22.71 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in WB: European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 25.24 million in 1999.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in WB: European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.71 million in 2023.
- How does WB: European Union rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- WB: European Union ranks 168th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in WB: European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this WB: European Union 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 — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release