Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Jamaica

Jamaica: Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary was 19.1% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
19.1%
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
25th
of 136 countries
All-time high
20.2%
in 2015
All-time low
11.1%
in 1999
Years of data
11
1999–2019

Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Jamaica, 1999–2019

051015201999200920191999: 11.1 %2000: 12.7 %2001: 12.8 %2002: 13.1 %2003: 14.3 %2004: 11.2 %2015: 20.2 %2016: 18.8 %2017: 18.3 %2018: 18.8 %2019: 19.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Jamaica is 19.1%, measured in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 70.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Jamaica peaked at 20.2% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 11.1%, in 1999.

Jamaica ranks 25th of 136 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Jamaica, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, male (%) in Jamaica, 1999 to 2019.
Year % Change
1999 11.1%
2000 12.7% +14.0%
2001 12.8% +1.2%
2002 13.1% +1.9%
2003 14.3% +9.4%
2004 11.2% -21.6%
2015 20.2% +80.3%
2016 18.8% -7.2%
2017 18.3% -2.3%
2018 18.8% +2.3%
2019 19.1% +1.8%

Jamaica compared with similar countries

  • Jamaica's 19.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 9.2%, 2.1× the median. (39 countries reporting)
  • Jamaica's 19.1% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 9.5%, 2.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.1% 11.1% 11.1% 1
2000s 12.8% 11.2% 14.3% 5
2010s 19.0% 18.3% 20.2% 5

Countries ranked near Jamaica

  1. 22 Panama 20.8% compare
  2. 23 Cambodia 20.1% compare
  3. 24 El Salvador 19.6% compare
  4. 26 Cameroon 18.9% compare
  5. 27 British Virgin Islands 17.8% compare
  6. 28 Myanmar 17.2% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More reference data data for Jamaica

All data for Jamaica →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Jamaica?
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Jamaica was 19.1% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Jamaica?
The highest recorded value was 20.2% in 2015.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Jamaica?
The lowest recorded value was 11.1% in 1999.
How does Jamaica rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
Jamaica ranks 25th out of 136 countries with data for 2019.
Is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary rising or falling in Jamaica?
Over the last ten years it is up 70.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Jamaica data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Jamaica. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-adolescents-and-youth-of-primary-lower-secondary-and-4/jamaica/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,045 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Proportion of children, adolescents, and youth in the official age range for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education who are not enrolled in primary, lower secondary, or upper secondary education. To calculate the indicator, the number of students of the official age for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education enrolled in primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education is subtracted from the total population of primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. The result is expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/