United States: School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, United States' school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) rose 0.64 percentage points on 2022 (from 9.07% to 9.72%).

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2022), the average change was −0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.84 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 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 1.92 percentage points in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.55 percentage points in 1991. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.13 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 56% 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.

How it compares

In 2023, United States had the 23rd highest value of the 43 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 United States in the 2023 ranking

• Guyana — 20th of 43: 11.12%
• Afghanistan — 21st of 43: 10.3%
• Trinidad and Tobago — 22nd of 43: 9.82%
• Tunisia — 24th of 43: 9.09%
• Greece — 25th of 43: 7.31%
• Canada — 26th of 43: 6.67%

What this measures

Private enrollment refers to pupils or students enrolled in institutions that are not operated by a public authority but controlled and managed, whether for profit or not, by a private body such as a nongovernmental organization, religious body, special interest group, foundation or business enterprise.

Limitations: Religious or private schools, which are not registered with the government or don't follow the common national curriculum, may not be captured.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 27 values

School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) in nearby economies

• Bermuda — 44% (2023)
• Canada — 6.67% (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

• 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 United States's school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)?

9.72% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is down 9.48 percentage points from 19.19% in 1971. The highest value was 19.29% in 1976 and the lowest 8.07% in 2014.

How does United States rank?

23rd highest of 43 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) unusual for United States?

In 2023, United States' school enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) rose 0.64 percentage points on 2022 (from 9.07% to 9.72%). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2022), the average change was −0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.84 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 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.PRIV.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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