Low income: Primary education, pupils

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Low income's primary education, pupils rose 1% on 2023 (from 111.3 million to 112.44 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +4.5% and a typical year strayed about 2.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 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 10% in 1997 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.9% in 1971. 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 2.17 million a year. A straight line explains 89% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

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

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

All 55 values

Primary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 7.51 million (2023)
• Algeria — 5.3 million (2025)
• Bahrain — 122,305 (2024)
• Djibouti — 69,705 (2023)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 15.4 million (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 9.09 million (2023)
• Israel — 1.05 million (2024)
• Jordan — 1.12 million (2024)
• Kuwait — 265,113 (2021)
• Lebanon — 533,550 (2024)
• Malta — 27,337 (2023)
• Morocco

More education data for Low income

• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 97.57% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 94.48% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 100.6% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 2.88 million (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 43.24 million (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 41.49% (2024)
• Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort) — 57.56% (2023)
• Primary education, teachers (% 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 Low income's primary education, pupils?

112.44 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 604.08% from 15.97 million in 1970 (3.68% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 112.44 million in 2024 and the lowest 15.34 million in 1971.

Is the latest change in primary education, pupils unusual for Low income?

In 2024, Low income's primary education, pupils rose 1% on 2023 (from 111.3 million to 112.44 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +4.5% and a typical year strayed about 2.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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.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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