Rwanda: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

Over five years it is down 31.21% from 28,353 in 2019 (7.21% a year on average, compounded). Since 1973 it is down 94.65% from 364,288 in 1973 (5.58% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 37 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 113.5% in 2024 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.7% in 1978. 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, Rwanda had the 46th highest value of the 101 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 Rwanda in the 2024 ranking

• Georgia — 43rd of 101: 21,241
• Belarus — 44th of 101: 20,600
• Costa Rica — 45th of 101: 19,701
• Bulgaria — 47th of 101: 14,529
• Suriname — 48th of 101: 10,697
• Hungary — 49th of 101: 10,500

What this measures

Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.

Limitations: Due to different data sources for enrollment and population data, the number may not capture the actual number of children not attending in primary school.

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

All 15 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Benin — 213,285 (2022)
• Botswana — 1,869 (2022)
• Burkina Faso — 1.36 million (2024)
• Burundi — 661,724 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 24,851 (2022)
• Cameroon — 173,924 (2024)
• Chad — 855,041 (2024)
• Comoros — 21,743 (2024)
• Congo, Rep. — 171,125 (2023)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 650,800 (2024)
• Equatorial Guinea — 128,846 (2015)

More education data for Rwanda

• 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, pupils — 3.01 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 149.57% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 146.68% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 152.46% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 68,326 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

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 Rwanda's children out of school, primary?

19,504 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1973?

It is down 94.65% from 364,288 in 1973 (5.58% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 541,211 in 1999 and the lowest 1,839 in 2021.

How does Rwanda rank?

46th highest of 101 economies with data for 2024.

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.PRM.UNER, 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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