Myanmar: Primary education, pupils

Key figures

Since 1971 it is up 66.78% from 3.18 million in 1971 (1.09% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 6 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2018, Myanmar's primary education, pupils fell 1.6% on 2017 (from 5.39 million to 5.3 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1980 to 2017), the average change was +1.4% and a typical year strayed about 3.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 11.1% in 1991 and the biggest yearly fall was 6.8% in 1990. 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

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 42 values

Primary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Australia — 2.27 million (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 37,751 (2024)
• Cambodia — 2.27 million (2024)
• China — 108.57 million (2024)
• Fiji — 113,938 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 329,780 (2024)
• Indonesia — 28.68 million (2025)
• Japan — 6.25 million (2023)
• Kiribati — 17,457 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 2.51 million (2024)
• Lao PDR — 739,554 (2025)
• Macao SAR, China

More education data for Myanmar

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 10 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 120.22% (2018)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 4.18 million (2018)
• Primary education, teachers — 217,561 (2018)
• Secondary education, vocational pupils — 7,348 (2018)
• Secondary education, teachers — 153,660 (2018)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 24.36 (2018)

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 Myanmar's primary education, pupils?

5.3 million in 2018, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 66.78% from 3.18 million in 1971 (1.09% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 5.92 million in 1993 and the lowest 3.18 million in 1971.

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

In 2018, Myanmar's primary education, pupils fell 1.6% on 2017 (from 5.39 million to 5.3 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1980 to 2017), the average change was +1.4% and a typical year strayed about 3.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below 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.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.

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.