Puerto Rico (US): Primary education, pupils

Key figures

Since 1971 it is down 69.42% from 472,742 in 1971 (2.21% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 35 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Puerto Rico (US)'s primary education, pupils fell 3.8% on 2023 (from 150,261 to 144,542).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2023), the average change was −2.7% and a typical year strayed about 3.5% 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 2.5% in 1977 and the biggest yearly fall was 10% in 2011. 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 2024, Puerto Rico (US) had the 77th highest value of the 119 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 Puerto Rico (US) in the 2024 ranking

• Jamaica — 74th of 119: 211,097
• Qatar — 75th of 119: 180,287
• Armenia — 76th of 119: 160,885
• Albania — 78th of 119: 141,089
• Moldova — 79th of 119: 136,696
• Trinidad and Tobago — 80th of 119: 126,491

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 19 values

Primary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 8,720 (2023)
• Argentina — 4.58 million (2023)
• Aruba — 7,719 (2024)
• Bahamas, The — 26,817 (2024)
• Barbados — 16,314 (2024)
• Belize — 44,757 (2024)
• Bolivia — 1.38 million (2024)
• Brazil — 15.11 million (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 1,626 (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 4,334 (2024)
• Chile — 1.49 million (2024)
• Colombia

More education data for Puerto Rico (US)

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Compulsory education, duration (years) — 13 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 229,383 (2016)
• Secondary education, vocational pupils — 6,618 (2016)
• Secondary education, general pupils (% female) — 49.69% (2016)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) — 4.27% (2024)

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 Puerto Rico (US)'s primary education, pupils?

144,542 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is down 69.42% from 472,742 in 1971 (2.21% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 497,830 in 1982 and the lowest 144,542 in 2024.

How does Puerto Rico (US) rank?

77th highest of 119 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary education, pupils unusual for Puerto Rico (US)?

In 2024, Puerto Rico (US)'s primary education, pupils fell 3.8% on 2023 (from 150,261 to 144,542). Across the 13 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2023), the average change was −2.7% and a typical year strayed about 3.5% 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.

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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