Kiribati: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

Since 1979 it is up 94.16% from 822 in 1979 (1.49% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 20 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Kiribati's children out of school, primary rose 49 on 2023 (from 1,547 to 1,596).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (1982 to 2023), the average change was +78.25 and a typical year strayed about 217.88 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 753 in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 242 in 1985. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about 155.32 a year. A straight line explains 76% 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 2024, Kiribati had the 78th 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 Kiribati in the 2024 ranking

• Slovak Republic — 75th of 101: 2,535
• Fiji — 76th of 101: 2,471
• Armenia — 77th of 101: 1,710
• Brunei Darussalam — 79th of 101: 1,438
• Poland — 80th of 101: 1,392
• Korea, Rep. — 81st of 101: 1,383

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 26 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Australia — 2,833 (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 1,438 (2024)
• Cambodia — 76,741 (2024)
• Fiji — 2,471 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 4,491 (2024)
• Indonesia — 250,575 (2025)
• Japan — 4,225 (2023)
• Korea, Rep. — 1,383 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 82,273 (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 4,608 (2024)
• Malaysia — 404,724 (2024)

More education data for Kiribati

• 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) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 17,457 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 95.27% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.06 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 93.29% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 97.2% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers

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 Kiribati's children out of school, primary?

1,596 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1979?

It is up 94.16% from 822 in 1979 (1.49% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1,596 in 2024 and the lowest 0 in 1995.

How does Kiribati rank?

78th highest of 101 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Kiribati's children out of school, primary rose 49 on 2023 (from 1,547 to 1,596). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (1982 to 2023), the average change was +78.25 and a typical year strayed about 217.88 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.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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.