Secondary education, pupils in World
World: Secondary education, pupils was 651.68 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Secondary education, pupils in World, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2024, secondary education, pupils in World stood at 651.68 million. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, secondary education, pupils in World peaked at 651.68 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 201.25 million, in 1971.
That places World 1st out of 45 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Secondary education, pupils in World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 270.00 million | — |
| 1971 | 201.25 million | -25.5% |
| 1972 | 211.94 million | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 223.12 million | +5.3% |
| 1974 | 275.53 million | +23.5% |
| 1975 | 239.43 million | -13.1% |
| 1976 | 249.88 million | +4.4% |
| 1977 | 270.08 million | +8.1% |
| 1978 | 285.38 million | +5.7% |
| 1979 | 339.47 million | +19.0% |
| 1980 | 302.74 million | -10.8% |
| 1981 | 299.78 million | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 303.79 million | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 310.31 million | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 314.40 million | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 341.82 million | +8.7% |
| 1986 | 327.56 million | -4.2% |
| 1987 | 336.92 million | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 343.23 million | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 345.16 million | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 366.74 million | +6.3% |
| 1991 | 368.36 million | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 376.30 million | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 371.22 million | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 381.07 million | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 392.40 million | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 405.33 million | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 417.13 million | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 430.95 million | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 436.38 million | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 449.87 million | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 461.86 million | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 478.79 million | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 491.76 million | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 502.30 million | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 509.49 million | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 514.70 million | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 524.10 million | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 532.19 million | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 536.27 million | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 546.59 million | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 555.13 million | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 561.91 million | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 573.58 million | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 580.92 million | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 583.34 million | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 587.72 million | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 590.13 million | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 599.72 million | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 606.48 million | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 618.53 million | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 632.30 million | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 642.04 million | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 647.94 million | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 651.68 million | +0.6% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Secondary education, pupils in World 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | -25.5% | 270.00 million | 201.25 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 256.61 million | 201.25 million | 339.47 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 322.57 million | 299.78 million | 345.16 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 394.59 million | 366.74 million | 436.38 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 500.13 million | 449.87 million | 536.27 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 578.55 million | 546.59 million | 606.48 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 638.50 million | 618.53 million | 651.68 million | 5 |
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)
- Population ages 0-14 24.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is secondary education, pupils in World?
- Secondary education, pupils in World was 651.68 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest secondary education, pupils recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 651.68 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest secondary education, pupils recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 201.25 million in 1971.
- How does World rank for secondary education, pupils?
- World ranks 1st out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is secondary education, pupils rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Secondary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.