School enrollment, secondary (% gross) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: School enrollment, secondary (% gross) was 59.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
School enrollment, secondary in Afghanistan, 1970–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 59.6% for school enrollment, secondary in 2023. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
The figure is up 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, secondary in Afghanistan peaked at 59.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.4%, in 1970.
Afghanistan ranks 160th of 203 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
School enrollment, secondary (% gross) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8.4% | — |
| 1971 | 9.4% | +12.1% |
| 1972 | 10.4% | +11.0% |
| 1973 | 10.9% | +5.0% |
| 1974 | 11.1% | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 11.6% | +4.5% |
| 1976 | 12.5% | +7.4% |
| 1977 | 13.3% | +6.4% |
| 1978 | 13.8% | +4.2% |
| 1980 | 16.7% | +21.1% |
| 1981 | 20.1% | +20.1% |
| 1982 | 12.3% | -38.8% |
| 1984 | 13.6% | +11.0% |
| 1985 | 13.5% | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 12.1% | -10.1% |
| 1988 | 13.2% | +8.9% |
| 1989 | 12.7% | -4.0% |
| 1990 | 11.0% | -12.9% |
| 1991 | 17.2% | +55.7% |
| 1993 | 17.4% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 23.5% | +34.7% |
| 1995 | 23.1% | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 14.0% | -39.1% |
| 2003 | 14.0% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 19.2% | +37.6% |
| 2005 | 20.3% | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 29.5% | +45.6% |
| 2007 | 28.8% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 38.9% | +35.1% |
| 2009 | 44.3% | +13.8% |
| 2010 | 50.4% | +13.9% |
| 2011 | 52.4% | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 54.4% | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 54.9% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 54.3% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 53.2% | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 53.4% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 55.5% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 57.4% | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 59.6% | +3.9% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 59.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 37.2%, 1.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 59.6% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 91.0%, 65% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School enrollment, secondary (% gross) in Afghanistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | +55.7% | 11.0% | 17.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.3% | 8.4% | 13.8% | 9 |
| 1980s | 14.3% | 12.1% | 20.1% | 8 |
| 1990s | 18.4% | 11.0% | 23.5% | 5 |
| 2000s | 26.1% | 14.0% | 44.3% | 8 |
| 2010s | 54.0% | 50.4% | 57.4% | 9 |
| 2020s | 59.6% | 59.6% | 59.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More education data for Afghanistan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 88,020 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 343,942 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 13,837 (2003)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 10,383 (2003)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.51 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.56 % change on previous year (2019)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1811 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, secondary in Afghanistan?
- School enrollment, secondary in Afghanistan was 59.6% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, secondary recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 59.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, secondary recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.4% in 1970.
- How does Afghanistan rank for school enrollment, secondary?
- Afghanistan ranks 160th out of 203 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school enrollment, secondary rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, secondary (% 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. Secondary education completes the provision of basic education that began at the primary level, and aims at laying the foundations for lifelong learning and human development, by offering more subject- or skill-oriented instruction using more specialized teachers.