Bhutan: Children out of school, male (% of male primary school age)

Key figures

Since 1978 it is down 55.4 percentage points from 69.48% in 1978. The World Bank has no value for 24 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Bhutan's children out of school, male (% of male primary school age) fell 1.68 percentage points on 2023 (from 15.76% to 14.08%).

Across the 16 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2023), the average change was −0.92 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.58 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 10.3 percentage points in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.39 percentage points in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 5% of the movement over 9 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Bhutan had the 20th highest value of the 71 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 Bhutan in the 2024 ranking

• Suriname — 17th of 71: 15.67%
• Bahamas, The — 18th of 71: 15.5%
• Puerto Rico (US) — 19th of 71: 14.25%
• Ukraine — 21st of 71: 13.29%
• Paraguay — 22nd of 71: 13.26%
• Malaysia — 23rd of 71: 12.78%

What this measures

Children out of school are the percentage of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in primary or secondary school. Children in the official primary age group that are in preprimary education should be considered out of school.

Limitations: The administrative data used in the calculation of the rate of out-of-school children are based on enrolment at a specific date which can bias the results by either counting enrolled children who never attend school or by omitting those who enroll after the reference date for reporting enrolment data. Furthermore, children who drop out of school after the reference date are not counted as out of school. Discrepancies between enrolment and population data from different sources can also result in over- or underestimates of the rate.

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

All 23 values

Children out of school, male (% of male primary school age) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 4.29% (2018)
• India — 1.34% (2023)
• Sri Lanka — 9.67% (2023)

More education data for Bhutan

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 91,759 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 114.88% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 119.29% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 110.82% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.04 (2021)
• Primary education, pupils (% female)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Bhutan's children out of school, male (% of male primary school age)?

14.08% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1978?

It is down 55.4 percentage points from 69.48% in 1978. The highest value was 69.48% in 1978 and the lowest 9.69% in 2020.

How does Bhutan rank?

20th highest of 71 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in children out of school, male (% of male primary school age) unusual for Bhutan?

In 2024, Bhutan's children out of school, male (% of male primary school age) fell 1.68 percentage points on 2023 (from 15.76% to 14.08%). Across the 16 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2023), the average change was −0.92 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.58 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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.ZS, 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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