Share of children out of school — all countries

Share of children out of school — Lower-middle-income countries

Share of children out of school in lower-middle-income countries in 2024 — 5.37%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 11.62 pp.

2024 5.37% −4.25 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 16.99%2000
Period minimum 3.31%2013

Trend over time

2000–2024 · % of primary school-age children

Share of children out of school — Lower-middle-income countries, 2000–2024051015202000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 16.99%2003: 11.26%2005: 15.23%2006: 15.14%2007: 7.28%2008: 7.71%2009: 9.15%2010: 7.71%2011: 4.99%2012: 4.13%2013: 3.31%2014: 10.53%2015: 10.36%2016: 6.06%2017: 7%2018: 7.22%2019: 7.8%2020: 5.76%2021: 8.76%2022: 7.47%2023: 9.62%2024: 5.37%
Change over the period: −11.62 pp Annual average: -0.48 pp
Share of children out of school — Lower-middle-income countries, by year Lower-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 5.37 −4.25 pp
2023 9.62 +2.15 pp
2022 7.47 −1.28 pp
2021 8.76 +3 pp
2020 5.76 −2.04 pp
2019 7.8 +0.57 pp
2018 7.22 +0.23 pp
2017 7 +0.93 pp
2016 6.06 −4.29 pp
2015 10.36 −0.17 pp
2014 10.53 +7.21 pp
2013 3.31 −0.81 pp
2012 4.13 −0.86 pp
2011 4.99 −2.72 pp
2010 7.71 −1.44 pp
2009 9.15 +1.44 pp
2008 7.71 +0.43 pp
2007 7.28 −7.86 pp
2006 15.14 −0.09 pp
2005 15.23
2003 11.26
2000 16.99

About the indicator

The share of children of primary school age not attending school. Unlike the absolute count, the indicator speaks to the state of the education system in a country, and it shows that the task does not reduce to poverty: at comparable income the shares differ severalfold, and the highest values come from countries where schooling is obstructed by conflict or by a nomadic way of life.

Important: The aggregate is weighted by the number of children aged 0–14: total population is the wrong weight here — the share of children differs fourfold across countries.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), license CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.