School age population, primary education, both sexes in Western Sahara
Western Sahara: School age population, primary education, both sexes was 46,721 in 2025. ▲ Rising
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Western Sahara, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2025, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Western Sahara stood at 46,721. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Western Sahara peaked at 46,721 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11,960, in 1981.
Western Sahara ranks 168th of 222 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Western Sahara, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 11,960 | — |
| 1982 | 12,339 | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 12,725 | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 13,264 | +4.2% |
| 1985 | 14,634 | +10.3% |
| 1986 | 16,667 | +13.9% |
| 1987 | 19,257 | +15.5% |
| 1988 | 22,075 | +14.6% |
| 1989 | 24,990 | +13.2% |
| 1990 | 27,254 | +9.1% |
| 1991 | 28,820 | +5.7% |
| 1992 | 29,711 | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 30,158 | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 30,288 | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 30,178 | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 30,014 | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 29,770 | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 41,061 | +37.9% |
| 2018 | 42,153 | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 43,192 | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 44,109 | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 44,882 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 45,466 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 45,952 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 46,277 | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 46,721 | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16,435 | 11,960 | 24,990 | 9 |
| 1990s | 29,524 | 27,254 | 30,288 | 8 |
| 2010s | 42,135 | 41,061 | 43,192 | 3 |
| 2020s | 45,568 | 44,109 | 46,721 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Western Sahara
More education data for Western Sahara
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0501 % change on previous year (1997)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (1980)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 438 (1980)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (1980)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 590 (1980)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in Western Sahara?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in Western Sahara was 46,721 in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Western Sahara?
- The highest recorded value was 46,721 in 2025.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Western Sahara?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,960 in 1981.
- How does Western Sahara rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- Western Sahara ranks 168th out of 222 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Western Sahara?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Sahara 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