Morocco: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, Morocco's children out of school, primary fell 1.3% on 2020 (from 19,246 to 18,988).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was −9.4% and a typical year strayed about 21.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 34.4% in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 84.8% in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 the straight-line trend is downward, about 33,559 a year. A straight line explains 64% 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.

Closest to Morocco in the 2021 ranking

• Liechtenstein — 2nd of 2: 16

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 50 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Algeria — 78,683 (2025)
• Bahrain — 5,993 (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 559,709 (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 9,163 (2023)
• Israel — 28,644 (2024)
• Jordan — 21,351 (2024)
• Kuwait — 21,183 (2016)
• Lebanon — 146,896 (2024)
• Malta — 738 (2023)
• Oman — 21,922 (2024)
• Qatar — 8,638 (2024)

More education data for Morocco

• 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 completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) — 106.37% (2024)
• Primary education, pupils — 4.61 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 116.59% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 115.44% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 117.68% (2024)
• Persistence to grade 5, total (% of cohort)

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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Questions people ask

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

18,988 in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is down 98.6% from 1.35 million in 1971 (8.18% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.75 million in 1991 and the lowest 18,988 in 2021.

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

In 2021, Morocco's children out of school, primary fell 1.3% on 2020 (from 19,246 to 18,988). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was −9.4% and a typical year strayed about 21.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

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.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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