Australia: Children out of school, primary, male

Key figures

Over five years it is up 16.99% from 3,085 in 2018 (3.19% a year on average, compounded). Since 2000 it is down 92.46% from 47,841 in 2000 (10.63% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 10 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Australia's children out of school, primary, male fell 22.2% on 2022 (from 4,640 to 3,609).

Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was −8% and a typical year strayed about 56% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 122.7% in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 83.1% in 2001. 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, Australia had the 20th highest value of the 30 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 Australia in the 2023 ranking

• Guyana — 17th of 30: 8,547
• Belgium — 18th of 30: 6,672
• Albania — 19th of 30: 6,226
• Czechia — 21st of 30: 2,441
• North Macedonia — 22nd of 30: 2,282
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 23rd of 30: 2,195

What this measures

Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.

Limitations: Due to different data sources for enrollment and population data, the number may not capture the actual number of children not attending in primary school.

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

All 14 values

Children out of school, primary, male in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 781 (2024)
• Cambodia — 29,839 (2024)
• Fiji — 455 (2016)
• Indonesia — 859,417 (2018)
• Kiribati — 637 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 13,881 (2022)
• Lao PDR — 41,792 (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 2,439 (2024)
• Malaysia — 223,142 (2024)
• Micronesia, Fed. Sts. — 1,801 (2024)
• Mongolia

More education data for Australia

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 2.27 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 1.68 million (2017)
• Secondary education, general pupils (% female) — 49.5% (2017)
• Primary education, pupils (% female) — 48.67% (2017)
• School enrollment, primary (% net)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Australia's children out of school, primary, male?

3,609 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is down 92.46% from 47,841 in 2000 (10.63% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 47,841 in 2000 and the lowest 3,085 in 2018.

How does Australia rank?

20th highest of 30 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in children out of school, primary, male unusual for Australia?

In 2023, Australia's children out of school, primary, male fell 22.2% on 2022 (from 4,640 to 3,609). Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was −8% and a typical year strayed about 56% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.UNER.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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