Share of children out of school — all countries

Share of children out of school — Middle East & North Africa

Share of children out of school in Middle East & North Africa in 2023 — 4.76%. Since 1978, the indicator has fallen by 24.66 pp.

2023 4.76% −1.32 pp vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 29.42%1978
Period minimum 4.04%2019

Trend over time

1978–2023 · % of primary school-age children

Share of children out of school — Middle East & North Africa, 1978–2023010203019781983198819931998200320082013201820231978: 29.42%1981: 22.08%1983: 21.86%1985: 19.43%1999: 17.92%2000: 14.27%2001: 15.64%2002: 8.58%2003: 11.07%2004: 10.68%2005: 10%2006: 8.45%2007: 8.55%2010: 10.47%2011: 8.13%2012: 9.67%2013: 10.89%2014: 7.96%2015: 4.68%2016: 9.47%2017: 6.15%2018: 5.6%2019: 4.04%2020: 4.98%2021: 5.51%2022: 6.08%2023: 4.76%
Change over the period: −24.66 pp Annual average: -0.55 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Middle East & North Africa

Middle East & North Africa 4.76%
World computed 8.88%
Share of children out of school — Middle East & North Africa, by year Middle East & North Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 4.76 −1.32 pp
2022 6.08 +0.58 pp
2021 5.51 +0.52 pp
2020 4.98 +0.94 pp
2019 4.04 −1.56 pp
2018 5.6 −0.55 pp
2017 6.15 −3.32 pp
2016 9.47 +4.78 pp
2015 4.68 −3.28 pp
2014 7.96 −2.93 pp
2013 10.89 +1.22 pp
2012 9.67 +1.54 pp
2011 8.13 −2.33 pp
2010 10.47
2007 8.55 +0.1 pp
2006 8.45 −1.55 pp
2005 10 −0.68 pp
2004 10.68 −0.38 pp
2003 11.07 +2.49 pp
2002 8.58 −7.06 pp
2001 15.64 +1.37 pp
2000 14.27 −3.65 pp
1999 17.92
1985 19.43
1983 21.86
1981 22.08
1978 29.42

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.