United States's children out of school (% of primary school age) was 3.98% in 2022, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 3.56 percentage points from 0.42% in 2017.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 3.98% | 2022 |
| Five years earlier | 0.42% | 2017 |
| Highest | 4.1% | 2021 |
| Lowest | 0.36% | 2016 |
| Average since 2013 | 1.9% | 2013–2022 |
| First recorded | 0.57% | 2005 |
Over five years it is up 3.56 percentage points from 0.42% in 2017. Since 2005 it is up 3.42 percentage points from 0.57% in 2005. The World Bank has no value for 8 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.
What the numbers say
From 2013 to 2022 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 16% of the movement over 9 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2022, United States had the 8th highest value of the 12 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 3.98% | 2022 |
| High income | 2.5% | 2025 |
Closest to United States in the 2022 ranking
What this measures
Children out of school are the percentage of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in primary or secondary school. Children in the official primary age group that are in preprimary education should be considered out of school.
Limitations: The administrative data used in the calculation of the rate of out-of-school children are based on enrolment at a specific date which can bias the results by either counting enrolled children who never attend school or by omitting those who enroll after the reference date for reporting enrolment data. Furthermore, children who drop out of school after the reference date are not counted as out of school. Discrepancies between enrolment and population data from different sources can also result in over- or underestimates of the rate.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 10 values
| Year | Children out of school (% of primary school age) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 3.98 |
| 2021 | 4.1 |
| 2020 | 2.01 |
| 2019 | 0.9166 |
| 2018 | 0.5742 |
| 2017 | 0.4244 |
| 2016 | 0.36 |
| 2015 | 1.81 |
| 2014 | no data |
| 2013 | 2.9 |
| 2012 |
Children out of school (% of primary school age) in nearby economies
- Canada — 4.99% (2023)
More education data for United States
- 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)
- School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 79.36% (2022)
- School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.32 (2022)
- School enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) — 94.85% (2022)
- School enrollment, tertiary, male (% gross) — 64.54% (2022)
- Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is United States's children out of school (% of primary school age)?
- 3.98% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2005?
- It is up 3.42 percentage points from 0.57% in 2005. The highest value was 4.1% in 2021 and the lowest 0.36% in 2016.
- How does United States rank?
- 8th highest of 12 economies with data for 2022.
- 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.ZS, 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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