Primary education, pupils in Turkey

Turkey: Primary education, pupils was 5.54 million in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
5.54 million
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
24th
of 206 countries
All-time high
6.88 million
in 1988
All-time low
4.97 million
in 2017
Years of data
50
1971–2023

Primary education, pupils in Turkey, 1971–2023

02.0M4.0M6.0M197119972023

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

Analysis

Turkey recorded 5.54 million for primary education, pupils in 2023.

The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Turkey peaked at 6.88 million in 1988 and was at its lowest, 4.97 million, in 2017.

That places Turkey 24th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 5.34 million 5.01 million 5.57 million 9
1980s 6.40 million 5.66 million 6.88 million 9
1990s 6.66 million 6.39 million 6.88 million 8
2000s 6.67 million 6.56 million 6.77 million 10
2010s 5.70 million 4.97 million 6.64 million 10
2020s 5.39 million 5.28 million 5.54 million 4

Countries ranked near Turkey

  1. 21 South Africa 7.52 million compare
  2. 22 Afghanistan 7.51 million compare
  3. 23 Japan 6.25 million compare
  4. 25 Angola 5.38 million compare
  5. 26 Myanmar 5.30 million compare
  6. 27 Algeria 5.30 million compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Turkey

All data for Turkey →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils in Turkey?
Primary education, pupils in Turkey was 5.54 million in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Turkey?
The highest recorded value was 6.88 million in 1988.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Turkey?
The lowest recorded value was 4.97 million in 2017.
How does Turkey rank for primary education, pupils?
Turkey ranks 24th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Turkey?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Turkey 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 — 50 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.