Primary education, pupils in South Asia
South Asia: Primary education, pupils was 160.82 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Primary education, pupils in South Asia, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary education, pupils in South Asia is 160.82 million, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.5% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in South Asia peaked at 169.53 million in 2016 and was at its lowest, 64.29 million, in 1971.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 78.72 million | 64.29 million | 120.99 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 96.01 million | 82.63 million | 111.76 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 125.16 million | 114.25 million | 131.72 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 149.75 million | 134.66 million | 161.52 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 160.58 million | 143.33 million | 169.53 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 151.70 million | 144.67 million | 160.82 million | 5 |
More education data for South Asia
- Population ages 15-64 68.1% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 24.6% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 119.0% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 5.84 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 119.2% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 118.8% (2024)
- Labor force, total 709.68 million (2025)
- Labor force, female 29.1% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 0.991 GPI (2020)
- School enrollment, secondary 76.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in South Asia?
- Primary education, pupils in South Asia was 160.82 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 169.53 million in 2016.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.29 million in 1971.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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 — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.