Madagascar: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Madagascar's children out of school, primary rose 4.7% on 2023 (from 129,499 to 135,621).

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2023), the average change was +13.4% and a typical year strayed about 67.1% 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 276% in 2019 and the biggest yearly fall was 61.5% in 2021. 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 4% 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, Madagascar had the 26th 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 Madagascar in the 2024 ranking

• Viet Nam — 22nd of 101: 144,562
• Zambia — 23rd of 101: 136,539
• Bolivia — 24th of 101: 136,027
• Lesotho — 26th of 101: 124,175
• Paraguay — 27th of 101: 105,859
• Cambodia — 28th of 101: 76,741

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 25 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Benin — 213,285 (2022)
• Botswana — 1,869 (2022)
• Burkina Faso — 1.36 million (2024)
• Burundi — 661,724 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 24,851 (2022)
• Cameroon — 173,924 (2024)
• Chad — 855,041 (2024)
• Comoros — 21,743 (2024)
• Congo, Rep. — 171,125 (2023)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 650,800 (2024)
• Equatorial Guinea — 128,846 (2015)

More education data for Madagascar

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 5.29 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 132.74% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 138,648 (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 6.15% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 135.63% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross)

Reading data like this

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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Madagascar's children out of school, primary?

135,621 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1972?

It is down 67.97% from 423,435 in 1972 (2.17% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 925,528 in 1995 and the lowest 54,474 in 2011.

How does Madagascar rank?

26th highest of 101 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Madagascar's children out of school, primary rose 4.7% on 2023 (from 129,499 to 135,621). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2023), the average change was +13.4% and a typical year strayed about 67.1% 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.

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