North Macedonia: Primary education, pupils

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, North Macedonia's primary education, pupils fell 0.8% on 2022 (from 106,317 to 105,461).

Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2022), the average change was −0.8% and a typical year strayed about 3.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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 14% in 2008 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.6% in 2006. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 303.49 a year. A straight line explains 47% of the movement over 9 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, North Macedonia had the 37th highest value of the 44 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 North Macedonia in the 2023 ranking

• Croatia — 34th of 44: 147,483
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 35th of 44: 141,518
• Slovenia — 36th of 44: 132,709
• Djibouti — 38th of 44: 69,705
• Montenegro — 39th of 44: 38,834
• Iceland — 40th of 44: 32,314

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 29 values

Primary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Albania — 141,089 (2024)
• Andorra — 4,218 (2024)
• Armenia — 160,885 (2024)
• Austria — 368,502 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 603,966 (2024)
• Belarus — 444,044 (2024)
• Belgium — 814,388 (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 141,518 (2023)
• Bulgaria — 234,521 (2024)
• Croatia — 147,483 (2023)
• Cyprus — 60,596 (2024)
• Czechia

More education data for North Macedonia

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 8 (2025)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 55.01% (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.3 (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) — 64.97% (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary, male (% gross) — 45.52% (2023)
• Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) — 50.09% (2023)

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 North Macedonia's primary education, pupils?

105,461 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1993?

It is down 21.45% from 134,260 in 1993 (0.8% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 134,597 in 1996 and the lowest 100,911 in 2007.

How does North Macedonia rank?

37th highest of 44 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, North Macedonia's primary education, pupils fell 0.8% on 2022 (from 106,317 to 105,461). Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2022), the average change was −0.8% and a typical year strayed about 3.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

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.

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