School age population, primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: School age population, primary education, both sexes was 6.39 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
6.39 million number
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
22nd
of 206 countries
All-time high
6.39 million number
in 2020
All-time low
1.73 million number
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2020
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
In 2020, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan stood at 6.39 million number. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 21.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan peaked at 6.39 million number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.73 million number, in 1970.
That places Afghanistan 22nd out of 206 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.73 million number | — |
| 1971 | 1.79 million number | +3.2% |
| 1972 | 1.85 million number | +3.5% |
| 1973 | 1.92 million number | +3.5% |
| 1974 | 1.98 million number | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 2.03 million number | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 2.07 million number | +2.3% |
| 1977 | 2.12 million number | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 2.15 million number | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 2.18 million number | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 2.17 million number | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 2.15 million number | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 2.11 million number | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 2.07 million number | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 2.03 million number | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 2.00 million number | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 1.98 million number | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 1.98 million number | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 2.00 million number | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 2.06 million number | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 2.14 million number | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 2.29 million number | +6.8% |
| 1992 | 2.49 million number | +8.6% |
| 1993 | 2.70 million number | +8.7% |
| 1994 | 2.90 million number | +7.4% |
| 1995 | 3.07 million number | +5.7% |
| 1996 | 3.20 million number | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 3.29 million number | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 3.37 million number | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 3.46 million number | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 3.58 million number | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 3.70 million number | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 3.87 million number | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 4.05 million number | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 4.23 million number | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 4.40 million number | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 4.59 million number | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 4.77 million number | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 4.94 million number | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 5.10 million number | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 5.28 million number | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 5.42 million number | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 5.57 million number | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 5.73 million number | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 5.87 million number | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 5.99 million number | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 6.11 million number | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 6.22 million number | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 6.29 million number | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 6.35 million number | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 6.39 million number | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.98 million number | 1.73 million number | 2.18 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.06 million number | 1.98 million number | 2.17 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.89 million number | 2.14 million number | 3.46 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.32 million number | 3.58 million number | 5.10 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.88 million number | 5.28 million number | 6.35 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.39 million number | 6.39 million number | 6.39 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More education data for Afghanistan
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.48 % change on previous year (2004)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 67,949 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 95,218 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 115,568 (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 5.48 % change on previous year (2004)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 315,412 (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 5.48 % change on previous year (2004)
- 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)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in Afghanistan was 6.39 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 6.39 million number in 2020.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.73 million number in 1970.
- How does Afghanistan rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- Afghanistan ranks 22nd out of 206 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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.
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About this data
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to primary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.