Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita in Jamaica
Jamaica: Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita was 4.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita in Jamaica, 1975–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita in Jamaica stood at 4.3%.
The figure is down 65.0% on the previous year and down 59.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita in Jamaica peaked at 15.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 1975.
That places Jamaica 95th out of 203 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.8% | — |
| 1976 | 2.1% | +177.7% |
| 1977 | 2.6% | +21.5% |
| 1979 | 0.9% | -66.5% |
| 1980 | 1.5% | +73.7% |
| 1981 | 2.1% | +44.1% |
| 1983 | 1.4% | -33.3% |
| 1984 | 3.2% | +123.7% |
| 1985 | 4.7% | +46.4% |
| 1986 | 5.2% | +10.1% |
| 1987 | 4.2% | -19.0% |
| 1988 | 7.6% | +82.0% |
| 1989 | 4.1% | -45.8% |
| 1990 | 4.5% | +8.8% |
| 1991 | 5.6% | +24.1% |
| 1993 | 8.6% | +55.5% |
| 1999 | 11.9% | +37.5% |
| 2000 | 10.9% | -8.0% |
| 2001 | 11.2% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 12.3% | +9.9% |
| 2003 | 13.1% | +7.2% |
| 2004 | 10.1% | -23.1% |
| 2005 | 10.1% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 8.8% | -13.4% |
| 2014 | 10.7% | +21.8% |
| 2015 | 10.5% | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 11.1% | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 10.5% | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 10.4% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 9.2% | -11.3% |
| 2020 | 12.6% | +36.7% |
| 2021 | 15.0% | +19.4% |
| 2022 | 6.7% | -55.1% |
| 2023 | 12.4% | +83.9% |
| 2024 | 4.3% | -65.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.6% | 0.8% | 2.6% | 4 |
| 1980s | 3.8% | 1.4% | 7.6% | 9 |
| 1990s | 7.6% | 4.5% | 11.9% | 4 |
| 2000s | 11.3% | 10.1% | 13.1% | 6 |
| 2010s | 10.2% | 8.8% | 11.1% | 7 |
| 2020s | 10.2% | 4.3% | 15.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More education data for Jamaica
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 51,265 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 177,095 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 211,097 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 211,097 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 8.14 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita in Jamaica?
- Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita in Jamaica was 4.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 15.0% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 1975.
- How does Jamaica rank for share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita?
- Jamaica ranks 95th out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Jamaica data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) not enrolled in any level of education, expressed as a percentage of all children in that age group.