Senegal: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Senegal's children out of school, primary rose 2.6% on 2023 (from 658,669 to 675,615).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2023), the average change was −0% and a typical year strayed about 4.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above 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 10.1% in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 8.5% in 2012. 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, Senegal had the 8th 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 Senegal in the 2024 ranking

• Burkina Faso — 5th of 101: 1.36 million
• Bangladesh — 6th of 101: 918,575
• Chad — 7th of 101: 855,041
• Côte d'Ivoire — 9th of 101: 650,800
• Syrian Arab Republic — 10th of 101: 581,845
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 11th of 101: 559,709

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 38 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 Senegal

• 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) — 7 (2025)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.16 (2021)
• Primary education, pupils — 2.35 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 85.33% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 96.07% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 75.52% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers

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 Senegal's children out of school, primary?

675,615 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1978?

It is up 6.57% from 633,947 in 1978 (0.14% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 814,327 in 1994 and the lowest 512,867 in 2012.

How does Senegal rank?

8th highest of 101 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in children out of school, primary unusual for Senegal?

In 2024, Senegal's children out of school, primary rose 2.6% on 2023 (from 658,669 to 675,615). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2023), the average change was −0% and a typical year strayed about 4.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above 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.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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