Primary education, pupils in Nepal

Nepal: Primary education, pupils was 3.57 million in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
3.57 million
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
44th
of 206 countries
All-time high
4.95 million
in 2011
All-time low
389,825
in 1970
Years of data
53
1970–2025

Primary education, pupils in Nepal, 1970–2025

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M5.0M197019972025

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

Analysis

Nepal recorded 3.57 million for primary education, pupils in 2025.

The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Nepal peaked at 4.95 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 389,825, in 1970.

That places Nepal 44th out of 206 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 612,783 389,825 1.01 million 9
1980s 1.76 million 1.07 million 2.53 million 10
1990s 3.19 million 2.79 million 3.59 million 9
2000s 4.15 million 3.62 million 4.78 million 10
2010s 4.45 million 3.97 million 4.95 million 9
2020s 3.53 million 3.46 million 3.61 million 6

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 41 France 4.13 million compare
  2. 42 Yemen 3.90 million compare
  3. 43 Peru 3.71 million compare
  4. 45 Venezuela 3.54 million compare
  5. 46 Saudi Arabia 3.45 million compare
  6. 47 Uzbekistan 3.41 million compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils in Nepal?
Primary education, pupils in Nepal was 3.57 million in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 4.95 million in 2011.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 389,825 in 1970.
How does Nepal rank for primary education, pupils?
Nepal ranks 44th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nepal data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Primary education, pupils
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
251 places, 11,297 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

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