Iran, Islamic Rep.: Secondary education, pupils

Key figures

Since 1971 it is up 526.23% from 1.06 million in 1971 (3.59% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 15 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s secondary education, pupils rose 2.3% on 2022 (from 6.47 million to 6.62 million).

Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2022), the average change was +3.1% and a typical year strayed about 9.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 38.9% in 1972 and the biggest yearly fall was 17.6% in 2013. 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 2023, Iran, Islamic Rep. had the 8th highest value of the 51 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 Iran, Islamic Rep. in the 2023 ranking

• Russian Federation — 4th of 51: 10.8 million
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 5th of 51: 7.93 million
• Kenya — 6th of 51: 6.74 million
• Japan — 8th of 51: 6.61 million
• United Kingdom — 9th of 51: 6.4 million
• South Africa — 10th of 51: 5.5 million

What this measures

Secondary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 38 values

Secondary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 3.43 million (2023)
• Algeria — 6.07 million (2024)
• Bahrain — 109,221 (2024)
• Djibouti — 69,362 (2023)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 11.56 million (2024)
• Israel — 948,390 (2024)
• Jordan — 1.03 million (2024)
• Kuwait — 302,047 (2015)
• Lebanon — 417,800 (2024)
• Malta — 32,424 (2023)
• Morocco — 3.57 million (2024)
• Oman

More education data for Iran, Islamic Rep.

• 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 — 9.09 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 101.96% (2023)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 72.48% (2020)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 102.05% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 101.88% (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Iran, Islamic Rep.'s secondary education, pupils?

6.62 million in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 526.23% from 1.06 million in 1971 (3.59% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 9.95 million in 2000 and the lowest 1.06 million in 1971.

How does Iran, Islamic Rep. rank?

8th highest of 51 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in secondary education, pupils unusual for Iran, Islamic Rep.?

In 2023, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s secondary education, pupils rose 2.3% on 2022 (from 6.47 million to 6.62 million). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2022), the average change was +3.1% and a typical year strayed about 9.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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.SEC.ENRL, 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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