Afghanistan: School enrollment, primary, male (% gross)

Key figures

What the numbers say

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 56.97 percentage points in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 52.58 percentage points in 1982. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Afghanistan had the 2nd highest value of the 42 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Afghanistan in the 2023 ranking

• St. Kitts and Nevis — 2nd of 42: 125.28%
• Papua New Guinea — 3rd of 42: 123.09%
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 4th of 42: 120.87%

What this measures

Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.

Limitations: Enrollment indicators are based on annual school surveys, but do not necessarily reflect actual attendance or dropout rates during the year. Also, the length of education differs across countries and can influence enrollment rates, although the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) tries to minimize the difference. For example, a shorter duration for primary education tends to increase the rate; a longer one to decrease it (in part because older children are more at risk of dropping out). Moreover, age at enrollment may be inaccurately estimated or misstated, especially in communities where registration of births is not strictly enforced.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 44 values

School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) in nearby economies

• Algeria — 105.25% (2025)
• Bahrain — 96.36% (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 96.71% (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 101.88% (2023)
• Israel — 97.39% (2024)
• Jordan — 98.35% (2024)
• Kuwait — 77.02% (2021)
• Lebanon — 82.12% (2024)
• Malta — 97.75% (2023)
• Morocco — 117.68% (2024)
• Oman

More education data for Afghanistan

• Primary school starting age (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 7.51 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 112.23% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 97.87% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.67 (2019)
• Primary education, pupils (% female) — 38.96% (2018)
• Secondary education, pupils

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Afghanistan's school enrollment, primary, male (% gross)?

125.93% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 72.24 percentage points from 53.69% in 1970. The highest value was 146.24% in 2004 and the lowest 26.78% in 1982.

How does Afghanistan rank?

2nd highest of 42 economies with data for 2023.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API..

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.ENRR.MA, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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