School enrollment, primary in Nepal
Nepal: School enrollment, primary was 128.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, primary in Nepal, 1970–2025
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 128.6% for school enrollment, primary in 2025.
The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and down 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, primary in Nepal peaked at 151.6% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 25.2%, in 1970.
Nepal ranks 6th of 205 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
School enrollment, primary in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 25.2% | — |
| 1981 | 68.4% | +171.4% |
| 1982 | 70.9% | +3.7% |
| 1983 | 76.3% | +7.6% |
| 1984 | 80.0% | +4.8% |
| 1985 | 80.7% | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 80.6% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 82.6% | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 87.0% | +5.3% |
| 1989 | 101.6% | +16.7% |
| 1990 | 109.2% | +7.5% |
| 1991 | 110.0% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 112.6% | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 111.7% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 112.4% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 112.1% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 115.6% | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 113.2% | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 111.6% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 114.3% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 106.7% | -6.7% |
| 2002 | 110.7% | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 110.0% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 112.8% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 113.7% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 128.4% | +12.9% |
| 2007 | 130.2% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 128.9% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 141.3% | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 147.1% | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 151.6% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 149.4% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 145.7% | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 143.0% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 143.6% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 139.2% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 135.3% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 137.4% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 121.9% | -11.3% |
| 2021 | 120.0% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 121.2% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 126.6% | +4.4% |
| 2024 | 124.6% | -1.5% |
| 2025 | 128.6% | +3.2% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 128.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 102.7%, 1.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 128.6% is above the median for South Asia, which is 108.8%, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School enrollment, primary in Nepal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +171.4% | 25.2% | 68.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.2% | 25.2% | 25.2% | 1 |
| 1980s | 80.9% | 68.4% | 101.6% | 9 |
| 1990s | 112.0% | 109.2% | 115.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 119.7% | 106.7% | 141.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 143.6% | 135.3% | 151.6% | 9 |
| 2020s | 123.8% | 120.0% | 128.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 3 Rwanda 149.6% compare
- 4 Malawi 139.0% compare
- 5 Madagascar 132.7% compare
- 7 Turks and Caicos Islands 125.1% compare
- 8 United States Virgin Islands 124.1% compare
- 9 Saint Kitts and Nevis 121.1% compare
More education data for Nepal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 124,257 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 263,796 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 752,326 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 609,324 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.67 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.57 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1204 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, primary in Nepal?
- School enrollment, primary in Nepal was 128.6% in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, primary recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 151.6% in 2011.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, primary recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.2% in 1970.
- How does Nepal rank for school enrollment, primary?
- Nepal ranks 6th out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school enrollment, primary rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, primary (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.