Philippines: Secondary education, pupils

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Philippines' secondary education, pupils fell 5.8% on 2023 (from 12.59 million to 11.87 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2023), the average change was +4.4% and a typical year strayed about 4.9% 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 21.8% in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.8% in 2024. 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 596,944 a year. A straight line explains 82% 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

In 2024, Philippines had the 7th highest value of the 100 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 Philippines in the 2024 ranking

• Pakistan — 3rd of 100: 19.7 million
• Bangladesh — 4th of 100: 15.07 million
• Mexico — 5th of 100: 13.99 million
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 7th of 100: 11.56 million
• Germany — 8th of 100: 6.97 million
• France — 9th of 100: 6.27 million

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 49 values

Secondary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Australia — 2.65 million (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 40,924 (2023)
• Cambodia — 1.17 million (2024)
• China — 97.98 million (2024)
• Fiji — 113,613 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 340,877 (2024)
• Indonesia — 27.84 million (2025)
• Japan — 6.61 million (2023)
• Kiribati — 16,846 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 2.66 million (2024)
• Lao PDR — 532,092 (2025)

More education data for Philippines

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, teachers — 527,504 (2024)
• Primary education, pupils — 13.06 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 94.03% (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 85.29% (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 47.41% (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% 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 Philippines's secondary education, pupils?

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

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 590.11% from 1.72 million in 1971 (3.71% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 12.59 million in 2023 and the lowest 1.72 million in 1971.

How does Philippines rank?

7th highest of 100 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Philippines' secondary education, pupils fell 5.8% on 2023 (from 12.59 million to 11.87 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2023), the average change was +4.4% and a typical year strayed about 4.9% 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.

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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