Syrian Arab Republic: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

Since 1971 it is up 75.71% from 331,138 in 1971 (1.07% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 7 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Syrian Arab Republic's children out of school, primary fell 21.9% on 2023 (from 745,174 to 581,845).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2023), the average change was +116.9% and a typical year strayed about 670.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 3,665.8% in 2013 and the biggest yearly fall was 72.4% in 2003. 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, Syrian Arab Republic had the 10th 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 Syrian Arab Republic in the 2024 ranking

• Chad — 7th of 101: 855,041
• Senegal — 8th of 101: 675,615
• Côte d'Ivoire — 9th of 101: 650,800
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 11th of 101: 559,709
• Malaysia — 12th of 101: 404,724
• Honduras — 13th of 101: 346,452

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 47 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Algeria — 78,683 (2025)
• Bahrain — 5,993 (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 559,709 (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 9,163 (2023)
• Israel — 28,644 (2024)
• Jordan — 21,351 (2024)
• Kuwait — 21,183 (2016)
• Lebanon — 146,896 (2024)
• Malta — 738 (2023)
• Morocco — 18,988 (2021)
• Oman — 21,922 (2024)

More education data for Syrian Arab Republic

• 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 completion rate, female (% of relevant age group) — 61.37% (2024)
• Primary completion rate, male (% of relevant age group) — 58.94% (2024)
• Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) — 60.13% (2024)
• Primary education, pupils — 2.17 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% 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 Syrian Arab Republic's children out of school, primary?

581,845 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 75.71% from 331,138 in 1971 (1.07% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.12 million in 2020 and the lowest 19,969 in 2011.

How does Syrian Arab Republic rank?

10th highest of 101 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in children out of school, primary unusual for Syrian Arab Republic?

In 2024, Syrian Arab Republic's children out of school, primary fell 21.9% on 2023 (from 745,174 to 581,845). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2023), the average change was +116.9% and a typical year strayed about 670.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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.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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