El Salvador: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, El Salvador's children out of school, primary fell 40.2% on 2023 (from 95,913 to 57,339).

Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was +1.4% and a typical year strayed about 21.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 48.1% in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 40.2% in 2024. 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 19% of the movement over 10 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, El Salvador had the 29th 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 El Salvador in the 2024 ranking

• Lesotho — 26th of 101: 124,175
• Paraguay — 27th of 101: 105,859
• Cambodia — 28th of 101: 76,741
• Dominican Republic — 30th of 101: 56,334
• Mexico — 31st of 101: 46,859
• Solomon Islands — 32nd of 101: 36,440

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 17 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)
• Colombia — 289,295 (2022)

More education data for El Salvador

• Primary school starting age (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 594,860 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 89.88% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 90.18% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 89.6% (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 32.83% (2024)
• Primary education, pupils (% female)

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 El Salvador's children out of school, primary?

57,339 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is down 73.18% from 213,782 in 1970 (2.41% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 213,782 in 1970 and the lowest 45,093 in 2003.

How does El Salvador rank?

29th highest of 101 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, El Salvador's children out of school, primary fell 40.2% on 2023 (from 95,913 to 57,339). Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2023), the average change was +1.4% and a typical year strayed about 21.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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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