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

Key figures

Since 1987 it is down 45.22 percentage points from 65.14% in 1987. The World Bank has no value for 11 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Ethiopia's children out of school, male (% of male primary school age) fell 1.41 percentage points on 2023 (from 21.33% to 19.92%).

Across the 21 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2023), the average change was −2.2 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.94 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 2.16 percentage points in 1989 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.97 percentage points in 2005. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Ethiopia had the 12th 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 Ethiopia in the 2024 ranking

• Lebanon — 9th of 71: 22.65%
• Syrian Arab Republic — 10th of 71: 22.14%
• Comoros — 11th of 71: 20.77%
• Chad — 13th of 71: 19.19%
• Tanzania — 14th of 71: 19.19%
• Barbados — 15th of 71: 17.83%

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 27 values

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

• Benin — 6.85% (2022)
• Burkina Faso — 34.85% (2024)
• Burundi — 28.02% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 32.97% (2022)
• Cameroon — 2.7% (2019)
• Chad — 19.19% (2024)
• Comoros — 20.77% (2024)
• Congo, Rep. — 17.24% (2023)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 12.01% (2024)

More education data for Ethiopia

• 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)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.91 (2021)
• Primary education, pupils — 15.93 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 84.42% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 81.41% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 87.32% (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
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

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

19.92% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1987?

It is down 45.22 percentage points from 65.14% in 1987. The highest value was 76.23% in 1994 and the lowest 16.89% in 2014.

How does Ethiopia rank?

12th 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 Ethiopia?

In 2024, Ethiopia's children out of school, male (% of male primary school age) fell 1.41 percentage points on 2023 (from 21.33% to 19.92%). Across the 21 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2023), the average change was −2.2 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.94 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above 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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