Canada: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Canada's children out of school, primary fell 3.8% on 2022 (from 132,683 to 127,666).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2013 to 2022), the average change was +55.3% and a typical year strayed about 129.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 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 404.1% in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 36.9% in 2015. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 15,346 a year. A straight line explains 92% of the movement over 10 observed 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, Canada had the 9th highest value of the 37 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 Canada in the 2023 ranking

• Congo, Rep. — 6th of 37: 171,125
• Romania — 7th of 37: 160,246
• Sri Lanka — 8th of 37: 157,499
• Ecuador — 10th of 37: 86,090
• West Bank and Gaza — 11th of 37: 53,793
• Nicaragua — 12th of 37: 53,481

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 13 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• United States — 965,853 (2022)

More education data for Canada

• 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 — 2.43 million (2023)
• Secondary education, pupils — 2.7 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.99 (2020)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) — 4.84% (2022)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

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 Canada's children out of school, primary?

127,666 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 779.42% from 14,517 in 2000 (9.91% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 132,683 in 2022 and the lowest 6,768 in 2015.

How does Canada rank?

9th highest of 37 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Canada's children out of school, primary fell 3.8% on 2022 (from 132,683 to 127,666). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2013 to 2022), the average change was +55.3% and a typical year strayed about 129.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 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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