Vanuatu: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

Over five years it is up 146.29% from 512 in 2019 (19.75% a year on average, compounded). Since 1981 it is down 66.21% from 3,732 in 1981 (2.49% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 26 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Vanuatu's children out of school, primary fell 146 on 2023 (from 1,407 to 1,261).

Across the 11 yearly changes before that (1999 to 2023), the average change was −145.55 and a typical year strayed about 604.69 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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 711.36 in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 1,192 in 2005. 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, Vanuatu had the 83rd 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 Vanuatu in the 2024 ranking

• Brunei Darussalam — 79th of 101: 1,438
• Poland — 80th of 101: 1,392
• Korea, Rep. — 81st of 101: 1,383
• British Virgin Islands — 83rd of 101: 1,080
• St. Lucia — 84th of 101: 1,033
• Switzerland — 85th of 101: 787

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 18 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Australia — 2,833 (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 1,438 (2024)
• Cambodia — 76,741 (2024)
• Fiji — 2,471 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 4,491 (2024)
• Indonesia — 250,575 (2025)
• Japan — 4,225 (2023)
• Kiribati — 1,596 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 1,383 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 82,273 (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 4,608 (2024)

More education data for Vanuatu

• 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) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 56,048 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 112.49% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.98 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 110.56% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 114.31% (2024)
• Primary education, pupils (% female)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Vanuatu's children out of school, primary?

1,261 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1981?

It is down 66.21% from 3,732 in 1981 (2.49% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 3,732 in 1981 and the lowest 0 in 1994.

How does Vanuatu rank?

83rd highest of 101 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in children out of school, primary unusual for Vanuatu?

In 2024, Vanuatu's children out of school, primary fell 146 on 2023 (from 1,407 to 1,261). Across the 11 yearly changes before that (1999 to 2023), the average change was −145.55 and a typical year strayed about 604.69 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 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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