Switzerland's primary education, pupils was 556,945 in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 15.1% from 483,900 in 2014 (1.42% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 556,945 | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 521,087 | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 483,900 | 2014 |
| Highest | 561,773 | 1974 |
| Lowest | 373,245 | 1987 |
| Average since 2015 | 523,854 | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 557,856 | 1973 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Switzerland's primary education, pupils rose 1.3% on 2023 (from 549,595 to 556,945).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2023), the average change was +0.7% and a typical year strayed about 1.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 7.1% in 1993 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.6% in 1977. 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 7,115 a year. A straight line explains 99% 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.
A straight-line projection, tested first
Extending that straight line gives about 575,883 for 2027. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2022 to 2024 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 7,404, against 15,103 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.
See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.
How it compares
In 2024, Switzerland had the 55th 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 556,945 | 2024 |
| World | 780.85 million | 2024 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 52.35 million | 2024 |
| High income | 84.04 million | 2024 |
Closest to Switzerland in the 2024 ranking
- El Salvador — 52nd of 119: 594,860
- Namibia — 53rd of 119: 590,029
- United Arab Emirates — 54th of 119: 586,477
- Lebanon — 56th of 119: 533,550
- Costa Rica — 57th of 119: 460,126
- Panama — 58th of 119: 451,308
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 51 values
| Year | Primary education, pupils |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 556,945 |
| 2023 | 549,595 |
| 2022 | 538,543 |
| 2021 | 533,258 |
| 2020 | 527,955 |
| 2019 | 521,087 |
| 2018 | 514,664 |
| 2017 | 507,686 |
| 2016 | 498,338 |
| 2015 | 490,469 |
| 2014 |
Primary education, pupils in nearby economies
More education data for Switzerland
- 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)
- Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) — 4.86% (2022)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.99 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils — 636,381 (2024)
- Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education) — 26% (2016)
- Primary education, pupils (% female) — 48.55% (2017)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Switzerland's primary education, pupils?
- 556,945 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1973?
- It is down 0.16% from 557,856 in 1973. The highest value was 561,773 in 1974 and the lowest 373,245 in 1987.
- How does Switzerland rank?
- 55th highest of 119 economies with data for 2024.
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.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
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