North America: Secondary education, pupils

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, North America's secondary education, pupils rose 0.3% on 2023 (from 28.05 million to 28.14 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.7% and a typical year strayed about 1.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 15.6% in 1992 and the biggest yearly fall was 13.3% in 1990. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about 114,579 a year. A straight line explains 91% 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.

What this measures

Secondary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.

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

All 55 values

Secondary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 3.43 million (2023)
• Algeria — 6.07 million (2024)
• Bahrain — 109,221 (2024)
• Djibouti — 69,362 (2023)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 11.56 million (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 6.62 million (2023)
• Israel — 948,390 (2024)
• Jordan — 1.03 million (2024)
• Kuwait — 302,047 (2015)
• Lebanon — 417,800 (2024)
• Malta — 32,424 (2023)
• Morocco

More education data for North America

• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 26.2 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 1.89 million (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 70.3% (2020)
• Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) — 51.24% (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.98 (2020)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 27.5 million (2018)
• Secondary education, vocational pupils — 128,051 (2018)
• Secondary education, pupils (% female)

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 North America's secondary education, pupils?

28.14 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 12.03% from 25.12 million in 1970 (0.21% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 28.14 million in 2024 and the lowest 21.53 million in 1990.

Is the latest change in secondary education, pupils unusual for North America?

In 2024, North America's secondary education, pupils rose 0.3% on 2023 (from 28.05 million to 28.14 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.7% and a typical year strayed about 1.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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.SEC.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.

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