Bangladesh: Primary education, pupils

Key figures

Since 1970 it is up 215.81% from 5.28 million in 1970 (2.15% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 21 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Bangladesh's primary education, pupils rose 2.7% on 2023 (from 16.25 million to 16.69 million).

Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2023), the average change was +3% and a typical year strayed about 7.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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 27.3% in 1972 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.3% in 2023. 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 2024, Bangladesh had the 3rd highest value of the 119 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 Bangladesh in the 2024 ranking

• China — 1st of 119: 108.57 million
• Pakistan — 2nd of 119: 25.38 million
• Ethiopia — 4th of 119: 15.93 million
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 5th of 119: 15.4 million
• Brazil — 6th of 119: 15.11 million

What this measures

Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.

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

All 34 values

Primary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Bhutan — 91,759 (2024)
• India — 126.12 million (2025)
• Maldives — 44,013 (2024)
• Nepal — 3.57 million (2025)
• Sri Lanka — 1.58 million (2023)

More education data for Bangladesh

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 23.73% (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.77 (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) — 20.79% (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary, male (% gross) — 26.95% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 15.07 million (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross)

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 Bangladesh's primary education, pupils?

16.69 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 215.81% from 5.28 million in 1970 (2.15% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 17.6 million in 2020 and the lowest 5.04 million in 1971.

How does Bangladesh rank?

3rd highest of 119 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary education, pupils unusual for Bangladesh?

In 2024, Bangladesh's primary education, pupils rose 2.7% on 2023 (from 16.25 million to 16.69 million). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2023), the average change was +3% and a typical year strayed about 7.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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.ENRL, 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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