Bhutan: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

Since 1978 it is down 82.63% from 48,268 in 1978 (3.73% a year on average, compounded). 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, primary fell 14.5% on 2023 (from 9,805 to 8,385).

Across the 16 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2023), the average change was +4.1% and a typical year strayed about 50.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 185.5% in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 38.8% 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 4% 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 57th highest value of the 101 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

• Germany — 54th of 101: 8,820
• Serbia — 55th of 101: 8,749
• Qatar — 56th of 101: 8,638
• France — 58th of 101: 8,155
• Finland — 59th of 101: 6,433
• Norway — 60th of 101: 6,077

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 23 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 918,575 (2024)
• India — 134,967 (2025)
• Maldives — 417.77 (2024)
• Nepal — 21,146 (2025)
• Sri Lanka — 157,499 (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, primary?

8,385 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1978?

It is down 82.63% from 48,268 in 1978 (3.73% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 48,452 in 1979 and the lowest 4,954 in 2020.

How does Bhutan rank?

57th highest of 101 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Bhutan's children out of school, primary fell 14.5% on 2023 (from 9,805 to 8,385). Across the 16 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2023), the average change was +4.1% and a typical year strayed about 50.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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, 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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