Nepal: School enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Nepal's school enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross) fell 9.54 percentage points on 2021 (from 97.62% to 88.08%).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (1984 to 2021), the average change was +3.78 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 6.28 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 19.1 percentage points in 2008 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.54 percentage points in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.98 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 33% of the movement over 8 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 Nepal in the 2022 ranking

• Thailand — 2nd of 4: 74.36%
• Gambia, The — 3rd of 4: 43.74%
• Côte d'Ivoire — 4th of 4: 11.27%

What this measures

Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Preprimary education refers to programs at the initial stage of organized instruction, designed primarily to introduce very young children to a school-type environment and to provide a bridge between home and school.

Limitations: Enrollment indicators are based on annual school surveys, but do not necessarily reflect actual attendance or dropout rates during the year. Also, the length of education differs across countries and can influence enrollment rates, although the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) tries to minimize the difference. For example, a shorter duration for primary education tends to increase the rate; a longer one to decrease it (in part because older children are more at risk of dropping out). Moreover, age at enrollment may be inaccurately estimated or misstated, especially in communities where registration of births is not strictly enforced.

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

All 24 values

School enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 37.39% (2021)
• Bhutan — 51.75% (2021)
• India — 52.27% (2021)
• Maldives — 77.95% (2020)
• Sri Lanka — 73.86% (2020)

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
• 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 Nepal's school enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross)?

88.08% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1983?

It is up 87.28 percentage points from 0.8% in 1983. The highest value was 97.62% in 2021 and the lowest 0.8% in 1983.

Is the latest change in school enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross) unusual for Nepal?

In 2022, Nepal's school enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross) fell 9.54 percentage points on 2021 (from 97.62% to 88.08%). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (1984 to 2021), the average change was +3.78 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 6.28 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://uis.unesco.org/bdds, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRE.ENRR.FE, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://uis.unesco.org/bdds, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) 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.