Colombia: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Colombia's children out of school, primary rose 14,341 on 2021 (from 274,954 to 289,295).

Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2021), the average change was +12,106 and a typical year strayed about 29,111 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 69,562 in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 44,812 in 2017. 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 2022 the straight-line trend is upward, about 20,649 a year. A straight line explains 83% of the movement over 8 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 2022, Colombia had the 3rd highest value of the 11 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 Colombia in the 2022 ranking

• United States — 1st of 11: 965,853
• Liberia — 2nd of 11: 327,280
• Benin — 4th of 11: 213,285
• Eritrea — 5th of 11: 179,166
• Mozambique — 6th of 11: 64,247

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 20 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 132.91 (2023)
• Argentina — 32,816 (2023)
• Bahamas, The — 4,585 (2024)
• Barbados — 3,420 (2024)
• Belize — 4,953 (2024)
• Bolivia — 136,027 (2024)
• Brazil — 316,818 (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 1,080 (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 234 (2024)
• Chile — 31,779 (2024)
• Costa Rica — 19,701 (2024)

More education data for Colombia

• 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) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 4.14 million (2022)
• Primary education, teachers — 180,781 (2022)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.97 (2020)
• Secondary education, pupils — 4.85 million (2022)
• Primary education, pupils (% female) — 48.13% (2018)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 23.3 (2018)

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 Colombia's children out of school, primary?

289,295 in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How does Colombia rank?

3rd highest of 11 economies with data for 2022.

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

In 2022, Colombia's children out of school, primary rose 14,341 on 2021 (from 274,954 to 289,295). Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2021), the average change was +12,106 and a typical year strayed about 29,111 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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..

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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