Secondary education, pupils in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Secondary education, pupils was 68.09 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
68.09 million
Change on year
up 4.4%
Rank
26th
of 45 groups
All-time high
68.09 million
in 2024
All-time low
9.80 million
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024

Secondary education, pupils in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1970–2024

020.0M40.0M60.0M197019972024

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Analysis

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan recorded 68.09 million for secondary education, pupils in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.

The figure is up 4.4% on the previous year and up 40.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, secondary education, pupils in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 68.09 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.80 million, in 1971.

That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 26th out of 45 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.

Secondary education, pupils in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year

Annual values for Secondary education, pupils in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1970 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1970 10.36 million
1971 9.80 million -5.4%
1972 10.58 million +7.9%
1973 10.78 million +1.8%
1974 11.37 million +5.5%
1975 12.25 million +7.7%
1976 13.07 million +6.7%
1977 13.95 million +6.7%
1978 15.08 million +8.1%
1979 13.14 million -12.9%
1980 16.36 million +24.5%
1981 17.01 million +4.0%
1982 17.68 million +3.9%
1983 18.45 million +4.3%
1984 19.27 million +4.5%
1985 20.20 million +4.8%
1986 21.32 million +5.6%
1987 22.33 million +4.7%
1988 23.20 million +3.9%
1989 24.07 million +3.8%
1990 26.07 million +8.3%
1991 27.21 million +4.4%
1992 28.52 million +4.8%
1993 29.94 million +5.0%
1994 32.03 million +7.0%
1995 33.20 million +3.6%
1996 34.11 million +2.8%
1997 35.74 million +4.8%
1998 37.32 million +4.4%
1999 38.55 million +3.3%
2000 39.64 million +2.8%
2001 40.44 million +2.0%
2002 41.11 million +1.7%
2003 42.42 million +3.2%
2004 43.75 million +3.1%
2005 43.76 million +0.0%
2006 45.73 million +4.5%
2007 46.13 million +0.9%
2008 46.69 million +1.2%
2009 47.54 million +1.8%
2010 47.84 million +0.6%
2011 49.31 million +3.1%
2012 49.88 million +1.2%
2013 48.41 million -2.9%
2014 48.62 million +0.4%
2015 49.87 million +2.6%
2016 51.10 million +2.5%
2017 51.87 million +1.5%
2018 53.69 million +3.5%
2019 55.49 million +3.4%
2020 57.39 million +3.4%
2021 59.45 million +3.6%
2022 61.98 million +4.3%
2023 65.21 million +5.2%
2024 68.09 million +4.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 12.04 million 9.80 million 15.08 million 10
1980s 19.99 million 16.36 million 24.07 million 10
1990s 32.27 million 26.07 million 38.55 million 10
2000s 43.72 million 39.64 million 47.54 million 10
2010s 50.61 million 47.84 million 55.49 million 10
2020s 62.43 million 57.39 million 68.09 million 5

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

  1. 23 South Africa 5.50 million compare
  2. 24 Ethiopia 5.03 million compare
  3. 25 Colombia 4.85 million compare
  4. 26 Italy 4.61 million compare
  5. 27 Argentina 4.56 million compare
  6. 28 Uzbekistan 4.36 million compare
  7. 29 Thailand 4.26 million compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is secondary education, pupils in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
Secondary education, pupils in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 68.09 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest secondary education, pupils recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
The highest recorded value was 68.09 million in 2024.
What is the lowest secondary education, pupils recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
The lowest recorded value was 9.80 million in 1971.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for secondary education, pupils?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 26th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
Is secondary education, pupils rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 40.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Secondary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Secondary education, pupils in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/secondary-education-pupils/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Secondary education, pupils
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
251 places, 10,025 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Secondary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.