Primary School Out-of-School Rate By Country 2026

Primary school out-of-school rates measure the percentage of children of primary school age not enrolled in school. This indicator is critical because primary education provides foundational literacy and numeracy skills essential for all subsequent learning and employment. Understanding which children are excluded from primary education is essential for identifying and addressing educational inequities.

What Primary School Out-of-School Rates Reveal

Primary school out-of-school rates represent the percentage of children of official primary school age who are not enrolled in any school. An out-of-school rate of 5% means 95% of primary school-age children are in school; a rate of 20% means one-fifth of children are not in school.

Out-of-school status at the primary level results from multiple barriers. Poverty forces families to withdraw children from school to work or contribute to household income. Distance to schools, particularly in rural areas, prevents attendance when transportation is unavailable. Gender discrimination limits girls' educational access. Disability creates barriers to enrollment and attendance. Conflict and political instability disrupt schooling and make schools unsafe. Inadequate school infrastructure, including lack of teachers, materials, and facilities, creates poor learning environments. Discrimination based on ethnicity, caste, religion, or other factors excludes vulnerable populations.

Primary School Out-of-School Rate By Country 2026

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#	Country	Out-of-School Rate 2026 Estimate (%) (%)
1	South Sudan SS	92.18%
2	Guinea-Bissau GW	71.69%
3	Somalia SO	71.3%
4	Liberia LR	70.02%
5	Central African Republic CF	67.63%
6	Uganda UG	64.82%
7	Chad TD	63.3%
8	Haiti HT	48.68%
9	Malawi MW	47.4%
10	Mauritania MR	46.23%
11	Madagascar MG	44.99%
12	Mozambique MZ	43.59%
13	Pakistan PK	41.65%
14	Mali ML	39.55%
15	Burundi BI	37.77%
16	DR Congo CD	37.08%
17	Guinea GN	35.66%
18	Senegal SN	34.56%
19	Angola AO	34.11%
20	Ethiopia ET	33.74%
21	Papua New Guinea PG	33.56%
22	Sierra Leone SL	30.32%
23	Zambia ZM	30.12%
24	Laos LA	29.43%
25	Benin BJ	27.11%
26	Burkina Faso BF	25.2%
27	Equatorial Guinea GQ	24.91%
28	Tanzania TZ	24.7%
29	Gabon GA	24.65%
30	Gambia GM	24.38%
31	Yemen YE	24.13%
32	Rwanda RW	23.96%
33	Afghanistan AF	23.8%
34	Sudan SD	22.12%
35	Nicaragua NI	21.61%
36	Cameroon CM	20.98%
37	Ghana GH	20.7%
38	Iraq IQ	20.23%
39	Vanuatu VU	20.15%
40	Nigeria NG	18.02%
41	Niger NE	17.24%
42	Timor-Leste TL	16.78%
43	Cambodia KH	16.28%
44	Eswatini SZ	16.19%
45	Ivory Coast CI	16.01%
46	Morocco MA	14.33%
47	Namibia NA	13.01%
48	Zimbabwe ZW	12.9%
49	Comoros KM	12.58%
50	Suriname SR	12.31%
51	Guatemala GT	12.23%
52	Lesotho LS	11.75%
53	Venezuela VE	11.71%
54	Togo TG	11.27%
55	Nauru NR	10.72%
56	Djibouti DJ	9.66%
57	Myanmar MM	9.37%
58	Kenya KE	9.04%
59	Bangladesh BD	8.25%
60	Sao Tome and Principe ST	7.6%
61	Brazil BR	6.63%
62	Congo CG	6.56%
63	Nepal NP	6.51%
64	Honduras HN	6.35%
65	Kiribati KI	6.24%
66	El Salvador SV	5.68%
67	Bhutan BT	5.05%
68	Paraguay PY	4.83%
69	Panama PA	4.75%
70	Dominican Republic DO	4.48%
71	Colombia CO	4.15%
72	Chile CL	3.65%
73	Argentina AR	3.28%
74	Egypt EG	3.15%
75	Philippines PH	3.05%
76	Algeria DZ	3.04%
77	Iran IR	2.95%
78	India IN	2.87%
79	Tunisia TN	2.77%
80	Albania AL	2.53%
81	Iceland IS	2.53%
82	Malta MT	1.85%
83	Uruguay UY	1.75%
84	Peru PE	1.65%
85	Trinidad and Tobago TT	1.65%
86	Samoa WS	1.65%
87	Syria SY	1.62%
88	Vietnam VN	1.61%
89	Tuvalu TV	1.57%
90	Azerbaijan AZ	1.56%
91	Mexico MX	1.55%
92	Türkiye TR	1.55%
93	Jordan JO	1.44%
94	Luxembourg LU	1.4%
95	Spain ES	1.35%
96	South Africa ZA	1.35%
97	Tonga TO	1.33%
98	Botswana BW	1.27%
99	Montenegro ME	1.25%
100	Moldova MD	1.1%
101	Fiji FJ	1.03%
102	Belgium BE	1.02%
103	Barbados BB	0.93%
104	Cyprus CY	0.93%
105	Bolivia BO	0.9%
106	Hungary HU	0.9%
107	Bulgaria BG	0.83%
108	Romania RO	0.83%
109	Tajikistan TJ	0.81%
110	China CN	0.79%
111	Indonesia ID	0.78%
112	Greece GR	0.7%
113	Costa Rica CR	0.66%
114	Kyrgyzstan KG	0.6%
115	Thailand TH	0.6%
116	Jamaica JM	0.53%
117	Estonia EE	0.5%
118	Slovenia SI	0.5%
119	Guyana GY	0.45%
120	North Macedonia MK	0.45%
121	Portugal PT	0.45%
122	Qatar QA	0.45%
123	Armenia AM	0.43%
124	Australia AU	0.43%
125	Cuba CU	0.43%
126	Maldives MV	0.41%
127	Latvia LV	0.4%
128	Ukraine UA	0.4%
129	France FR	0.36%
130	Palestine PS	0.35%
131	Poland PL	0.32%
132	Croatia HR	0.3%
133	Serbia RS	0.3%
134	Turkmenistan TM	0.3%
135	Saint Lucia LC	0.25%
136	Russia RU	0.25%
137	Finland FI	0.23%
138	Lithuania LT	0.23%
139	Belarus BY	0.2%
140	Ireland IE	0.2%
141	Netherlands NL	0.2%
142	Slovakia SK	0.2%
143	Uzbekistan UZ	0.2%
144	Switzerland CH	0.16%
145	Georgia GE	0.16%
146	Mongolia MN	0.14%
147	Bosnia and Herzegovina BA	0.13%
148	Norway NO	0.13%
149	Canada CA	0.1%
150	Czech Republic CZ	0.1%
151	Denmark DK	0.1%
152	United Kingdom GB	0.1%
153	Italy IT	0.1%
154	Kazakhstan KZ	0.1%
155	Ecuador EC	0.05%
156	Malaysia MY	0.05%
157	Mauritius MU	0.03%
158	Austria AT	0%
159	Germany DE	0%
160	Israel IL	0%
161	Japan JP	0%
162	South Korea KR	0%
163	Sweden SE	0%
164	United States US	0%

Global Patterns in Primary School Out-of-School Rates

Global primary school out-of-school rates have declined significantly over recent decades, reflecting increased investment in primary education access. However, substantial disparities remain. Developed nations typically show rates below 2%, indicating near-universal primary school enrollment. Many developing countries show rates between 5-15%, reflecting ongoing access challenges. The lowest-performing countries show rates exceeding 30%, indicating that one-third or more of primary school-age children are not in school.

Sub-Saharan Africa shows the highest primary school out-of-school rates globally, with many countries exceeding 20%. South Asia also shows high rates, particularly for girls. Latin America and East Asia show lower rates, reflecting greater educational development. Developed regions show the lowest rates, with near-universal enrollment at primary level.

Causes and Consequences of Primary School Out-of-School Status

Primary school out-of-school status has profound consequences for individual and national development. Children not in primary school miss the opportunity to develop basic literacy and numeracy skills, limiting their future employment prospects and earning potential. They are more vulnerable to exploitation, including child labor and trafficking. Girls not in school are at higher risk of early marriage and pregnancy.

For nations, high primary school out-of-school rates indicate severe educational access problems and reflect broader development challenges. Countries with high out-of-school rates typically have lower GDP per capita, higher poverty rates, and less developed infrastructure. Addressing primary school out-of-school status is essential for breaking cycles of poverty and promoting sustainable development.

2026 Projections and Methodology

Projections for 2026 show modest improvements in primary school out-of-school rates globally, with rates expected to decline slightly from 2023 levels. However, these improvements are typically only 1-3 percentage points, suggesting that without significant policy interventions, current disparities will persist.

The 2026 estimates are calculated using linear regression analysis based on historical trends from 2019-2023. This statistical method identifies the rate of change over recent years and projects that trend forward to 2026. The methodology examines each country's historical out-of-school rate trajectory and applies the observed trend to estimate 2026 values. All projections are constrained to the 0-100% range to ensure realistic estimates. This approach assumes that current trends will continue, which may not hold if significant policy changes or external shocks occur.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education globally, causing school closures and economic hardship that increased out-of-school rates in many countries. Recovery efforts and renewed investment in education infrastructure will be critical to achieving further improvements in primary school out-of-school rates beyond these projections.

Primary School Out-of-School Rate By Country 2026

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#	Country	Out-of-School Rate 2023 (%) (%)	Out-of-School Rate 2026 Estimate (%) (%)
1	South Sudan	92.3%	92.18%
2	Guinea-Bissau	72.8%	71.69%
3	Somalia	71.8%	71.3%
4	Liberia	70.4%	70.02%
5	Central African Republic	68.1%	67.63%
6	Uganda	64.6%	64.82%
7	Chad	65.1%	63.3%
8	Haiti	50.4%	48.68%
9	Malawi	49%	47.4%
10	Mauritania	47.9%	46.23%
11	Madagascar	46.5%	44.99%
12	Mozambique	48.7%	43.59%
13	Pakistan	43.1%	41.65%
14	Mali	42.2%	39.55%
15	Burundi	41.2%	37.77%
16	DR Congo	38.7%	37.08%
17	Guinea	39.3%	35.66%
18	Senegal	38.1%	34.56%
19	Angola	36.5%	34.11%
20	Ethiopia	37%	33.74%
21	Papua New Guinea	34.5%	33.56%
22	Sierra Leone	31.9%	30.32%
23	Zambia	30.4%	30.12%
24	Laos	30.9%	29.43%
25	Benin	29.8%	27.11%
26	Burkina Faso	29.4%	25.2%
27	Equatorial Guinea	26.2%	24.91%
28	Tanzania	24.7%	24.7%
29	Gabon	25.9%	24.65%
30	Gambia	26.5%	24.38%
31	Yemen	26.1%	24.13%
32	Rwanda	30.4%	23.96%
33	Afghanistan	27.5%	23.8%
34	Sudan	23.3%	22.12%
35	Nicaragua	22.9%	21.61%
36	Cameroon	22%	20.98%
37	Ghana	21.9%	20.7%
38	Iraq	21.4%	20.23%
39	Vanuatu	20.4%	20.15%
40	Nigeria	18.7%	18.02%
41	Niger	24.4%	17.24%
42	Timor-Leste	18.9%	16.78%
43	Cambodia	18.3%	16.28%
44	Eswatini	18.7%	16.19%
45	Ivory Coast	21.9%	16.01%
46	Morocco	16.4%	14.33%
47	Namibia	14.3%	13.01%
48	Zimbabwe	13.1%	12.9%
49	Comoros	14.9%	12.58%
50	Suriname	12.8%	12.31%
51	Guatemala	13.9%	12.23%
52	Lesotho	15.4%	11.75%
53	Venezuela	11.9%	11.71%
54	Togo	13.8%	11.27%
55	Nauru	10.9%	10.72%
56	Djibouti	11.2%	9.66%
57	Myanmar	11.5%	9.37%
58	Kenya	12.7%	9.04%
59	Bangladesh	10.5%	8.25%
60	Sao Tome and Principe	9.1%	7.6%
61	Brazil	7.5%	6.63%
62	Congo	8.7%	6.56%
63	Nepal	10.3%	6.51%
64	Honduras	7.5%	6.35%
65	Kiribati	6.4%	6.24%
66	El Salvador	6.8%	5.68%
67	Bhutan	8%	5.05%
68	Paraguay	5.5%	4.83%
69	Panama	5%	4.75%
70	Dominican Republic	5.4%	4.48%
71	Colombia	4.8%	4.15%
72	Chile	3.4%	3.65%
73	Argentina	3.4%	3.28%
74	Egypt	3.9%	3.15%
75	Philippines	4.1%	3.05%
76	Algeria	3.6%	3.04%
77	Iran	3.4%	2.95%
78	India	3.9%	2.87%
79	Tunisia	3.6%	2.77%
80	Albania	2.6%	2.53%
81	Iceland	2.6%	2.53%
82	Malta	1.9%	1.85%
83	Uruguay	1.8%	1.75%
84	Peru	2.1%	1.65%
85	Trinidad and Tobago	1.9%	1.65%
86	Samoa	1.7%	1.65%
87	Syria	1.9%	1.62%
88	Vietnam	2.1%	1.61%
89	Tuvalu	1.6%	1.57%
90	Azerbaijan	1.6%	1.56%
91	Mexico	1.9%	1.55%
92	Türkiye	2%	1.55%
93	Jordan	1.6%	1.44%
94	Luxembourg	1.4%	1.4%
95	Spain	1.4%	1.35%
96	South Africa	1.7%	1.35%
97	Tonga	1.4%	1.33%
98	Botswana	1.7%	1.27%
99	Montenegro	1.3%	1.25%
100	Moldova	1.1%	1.1%
101	Fiji	1.2%	1.03%
102	Belgium	1.1%	1.02%
103	Barbados	1%	0.93%
104	Cyprus	1%	0.93%
105	Bolivia	1.3%	0.9%
106	Hungary	0.9%	0.9%
107	Bulgaria	0.9%	0.83%
108	Romania	0.9%	0.83%
109	Tajikistan	0.9%	0.81%
110	China	1.1%	0.79%
111	Indonesia	1.2%	0.78%
112	Greece	0.7%	0.7%
113	Costa Rica	1.2%	0.66%
114	Kyrgyzstan	0.6%	0.6%
115	Thailand	0.8%	0.6%
116	Jamaica	0.6%	0.53%
117	Estonia	0.5%	0.5%
118	Slovenia	0.5%	0.5%
119	Guyana	0.7%	0.45%
120	North Macedonia	0.5%	0.45%
121	Portugal	0.5%	0.45%
122	Qatar	0.6%	0.45%
123	Armenia	0.5%	0.43%
124	Australia	0.5%	0.43%
125	Cuba	0.5%	0.43%
126	Maldives	0.7%	0.41%
127	Latvia	0.4%	0.4%
128	Ukraine	0.4%	0.4%
129	France	0.4%	0.36%
130	Palestine	0.4%	0.35%
131	Poland	0.3%	0.32%
132	Croatia	0.3%	0.3%
133	Serbia	0.3%	0.3%
134	Turkmenistan	0.3%	0.3%
135	Saint Lucia	0.3%	0.25%
136	Russia	0.3%	0.25%
137	Finland	0.3%	0.23%
138	Lithuania	0.3%	0.23%
139	Belarus	0.2%	0.2%
140	Ireland	0.2%	0.2%
141	Netherlands	0.2%	0.2%
142	Slovakia	0.2%	0.2%
143	Uzbekistan	0.2%	0.2%
144	Switzerland	0.2%	0.16%
145	Georgia	0.2%	0.16%
146	Mongolia	0.3%	0.14%
147	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.2%	0.13%
148	Norway	0.2%	0.13%
149	Canada	0.1%	0.1%
150	Czech Republic	0.1%	0.1%
151	Denmark	0.1%	0.1%
152	United Kingdom	0.1%	0.1%
153	Italy	0.1%	0.1%
154	Kazakhstan	0.1%	0.1%
155	Ecuador	0.7%	0.05%
156	Malaysia	0.2%	0.05%
157	Mauritius	0.1%	0.03%
158	Austria	0%	0%
159	Germany	0%	0%
160	Israel	0%	0%
161	Japan	0%	0%
162	South Korea	0%	0%
163	Sweden	0%	0%
164	United States	0%	0%

Methodology and Data Sources

This analysis uses UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) modelled estimates of primary school out-of-school rates. Modelled estimates provide consistent, comparable data across countries by using statistical techniques to fill gaps in reported data and account for different reporting methodologies.

Out-of-school rates are calculated as: (Number of out-of-school children / Total population of primary school age) × 100

The data reflects 2023 actual rates (the most recent available), with 2026 projections calculated using linear regression analysis based on historical trends from 2019-2023. Using modelled estimates ensures methodological consistency across all 195 countries included in this analysis, though it is important to note that these are statistical estimates rather than direct observations. This approach allows for meaningful comparisons between countries with different education systems and reporting practices.