Nepal: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

Since 1983 it is down 97.68% from 912,191 in 1983 (8.57% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 25 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2025, Nepal's children out of school, primary fell 63.2% on 2024 (from 57,449 to 21,146).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1984 to 2024), the average change was +45.4% and a typical year strayed about 101.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 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 214.6% in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 63.2% in 2025. 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

In 2025, Nepal had the 9th highest value of the 12 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 Nepal in the 2025 ranking

• Algeria — 6th of 12: 78,683
• Gambia, The — 7th of 12: 74,577
• Thailand — 8th of 12: 36,067
• Kyrgyz Republic — 10th of 12: 18,854
• Uzbekistan — 11th of 12: 18,501
• Naoero — 12th of 12: 119

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 18 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 918,575 (2024)
• Bhutan — 8,385 (2024)
• India — 134,967 (2025)
• Maldives — 417.77 (2024)
• Sri Lanka — 157,499 (2023)

More education data for Nepal

• Primary education, pupils — 3.57 million (2025)
• Primary education, teachers — 157,456 (2025)
• Secondary education, pupils — 3.67 million (2024)
• 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) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils (% female) — 50.61% (2019)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 19.74 (2019)
• Secondary education, teachers — 124,257 (2025)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross)

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

Questions people ask

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

21,146 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1983?

It is down 97.68% from 912,191 in 1983 (8.57% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.17 million in 1999 and the lowest 7,030 in 2021.

How does Nepal rank?

9th highest of 12 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Nepal's children out of school, primary fell 63.2% on 2024 (from 57,449 to 21,146). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1984 to 2024), the average change was +45.4% and a typical year strayed about 101.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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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