School age population, primary education, both sexes (number) in World
World: School age population, primary education, both sexes (number) was 727.84 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
727.84 million number
Change on year
up 0.9%
Rank
1st
of 45 groups
All-time high
727.84 million number
in 2019
All-time low
451.31 million number
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019
School age population, primary education, both sexes in World, 1970–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
In 2019, school age population, primary education, both sexes in World stood at 727.84 million number. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, both sexes in World peaked at 727.84 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 451.31 million number, in 1970.
That places World 1st out of 45 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
School age population, primary education, both sexes (number) in World, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 451.31 million number | — |
| 1971 | 462.28 million number | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 472.49 million number | +2.2% |
| 1973 | 483.16 million number | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 493.57 million number | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 503.10 million number | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 512.35 million number | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 522.08 million number | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 531.31 million number | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 538.09 million number | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 544.17 million number | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 548.15 million number | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 552.51 million number | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 556.03 million number | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 558.25 million number | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 559.03 million number | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 558.97 million number | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 561.32 million number | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 565.10 million number | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 571.20 million number | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 578.16 million number | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 588.33 million number | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 598.42 million number | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 609.47 million number | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 621.39 million number | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 634.19 million number | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 647.43 million number | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 660.42 million number | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 666.62 million number | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 667.56 million number | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 665.49 million number | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 657.19 million number | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 650.74 million number | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 645.87 million number | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 662.97 million number | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 664.35 million number | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 666.10 million number | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 669.07 million number | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 670.72 million number | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 672.57 million number | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 675.70 million number | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 678.23 million number | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 681.73 million number | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 689.39 million number | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 696.45 million number | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 702.75 million number | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 708.62 million number | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 715.11 million number | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 721.16 million number | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 727.84 million number | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 496.97 million number | 451.31 million number | 538.09 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 557.47 million number | 544.17 million number | 571.20 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 627.20 million number | 578.16 million number | 667.56 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 662.51 million number | 645.87 million number | 672.57 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 699.70 million number | 675.70 million number | 727.84 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near World
More education data for World
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 651.68 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 780.85 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0959 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 34.10 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 65.2% (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, per capita 0.08 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, primary education, both sexes in World?
- School age population, primary education, both sexes in World was 727.84 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 727.84 million number in 2019.
- What is the lowest school age population, primary education, both sexes recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 451.31 million number in 1970.
- How does World rank for school age population, primary education, both sexes?
- World ranks 1st out of 45 groups with data for 2019.
- Is school age population, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this 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 — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to primary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.