United States: Secondary education, pupils

Key figures

Over five years it is up 1.91% from 24.87 million in 2018 (0.38% a year on average, compounded). Since 2014 it is up 4.6% from 24.23 million in 2014 (0.5% a year on average, compounded).

What the numbers say

In 2023, United States' secondary education, pupils rose 0.6% on 2022 (from 25.2 million to 25.35 million).

Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2015 to 2022), the average change was +0.5% and a typical year strayed about 0.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 1.2% in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.9% in 2022. 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 124,072 a year. A straight line explains 91% 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 1st highest value of the 51 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

• Nigeria — 2nd of 51: 15.2 million
• Türkiye — 3rd of 51: 12.31 million
• Russian Federation — 4th of 51: 10.8 million

What this measures

Secondary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.

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

All 10 values

Secondary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Bermuda — 3,484 (2023)
• Canada — 2.7 million (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 secondary education, pupils?

25.35 million in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2014?

It is up 4.6% from 24.23 million in 2014 (0.5% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 25.43 million in 2021 and the lowest 24.23 million in 2014.

How does United States rank?

1st highest of 51 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in secondary education, pupils unusual for United States?

In 2023, United States' secondary education, pupils rose 0.6% on 2022 (from 25.2 million to 25.35 million). Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2015 to 2022), the average change was +0.5% and a typical year strayed about 0.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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.SEC.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.

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