Trinidad and Tobago: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

Since 1971 it is down 48.12% from 17,778 in 1971 (1.23% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 16 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Trinidad and Tobago's children out of school, primary fell 75.8% on 2023 (from 38,105 to 9,223).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1974 to 2023), the average change was +11.5% and a typical year strayed about 45.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 202.1% in 2008 and the biggest yearly fall was 75.8% in 2024. 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, Trinidad and Tobago had the 53rd 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 Trinidad and Tobago in the 2024 ranking

• New Zealand — 50th of 101: 10,396
• Jamaica — 51st of 101: 9,419
• Togo — 52nd of 101: 9,263
• Germany — 54th of 101: 8,820
• Serbia — 55th of 101: 8,749
• Qatar — 56th of 101: 8,638

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

• Antigua and Barbuda — 132.91 (2023)
• Argentina — 32,816 (2023)
• Bahamas, The — 4,585 (2024)
• Barbados — 3,420 (2024)
• Belize — 4,953 (2024)
• Bolivia — 136,027 (2024)
• Brazil — 316,818 (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 1,080 (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 234 (2024)
• Chile — 31,779 (2024)
• Colombia — 289,295 (2022)

More education data for Trinidad and Tobago

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 126,491 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 98.26% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 98.11% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 98.41% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 7,693 (2024)

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 Trinidad and Tobago's children out of school, primary?

9,223 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is down 48.12% from 17,778 in 1971 (1.23% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 38,105 in 2023 and the lowest 3,561 in 2007.

How does Trinidad and Tobago rank?

53rd highest of 101 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in children out of school, primary unusual for Trinidad and Tobago?

In 2024, Trinidad and Tobago's children out of school, primary fell 75.8% on 2023 (from 38,105 to 9,223). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1974 to 2023), the average change was +11.5% and a typical year strayed about 45.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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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