Primary education, pupils in World
World: Primary education, pupils was 780.85 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Primary education, pupils in World, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2024, primary education, pupils in World stood at 780.85 million. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in World peaked at 780.85 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 414.88 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 | 471.65 million | 414.88 million | 511.95 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 553.05 million | 528.82 million | 576.35 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 615.13 million | 578.62 million | 654.38 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 673.09 million | 651.86 million | 694.98 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 721.63 million | 697.57 million | 743.46 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 764.10 million | 750.55 million | 780.85 million | 5 |
More education data for World
- Population ages 15-64 65.2% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 24.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 102.2% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 34.10 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 101.5% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 102.8% (2024)
- Labor force, female 40.2% (2025)
- Labor force, total 3.74 billion (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 0.9825 GPI (2020)
- School enrollment, secondary 77.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in World?
- Primary education, pupils in World was 780.85 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 780.85 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 414.88 million in 1971.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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.