Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in OECD members

OECD members: Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower was 2.1% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
2.1%
Change on year
up 5.0%
Rank
38th
of 43 groups
All-time high
12.0%
in 1971
All-time low
2.0%
in 2018
Years of data
50
1970–2019

Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in OECD members, 1970–2019

2.557.51012.5197019942019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in OECD members is 2.1%, measured in 2019.

The figure is up 5.0% on the previous year and down 6.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in OECD members peaked at 12.0% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 2018.

OECD members ranks 38th of 43 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in OECD members, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, female (%) in OECD members, 1970 to 2019.
Year % Change
1970 11.0%
1971 12.0% +9.0%
1972 11.9% -0.9%
1973 11.7% -1.9%
1974 11.6% -1.1%
1975 11.3% -2.4%
1976 10.9% -3.9%
1977 10.4% -4.1%
1978 10.2% -2.2%
1979 9.5% -7.2%
1980 8.2% -13.2%
1981 8.1% -1.8%
1982 7.4% -7.9%
1983 7.6% +2.8%
1984 7.8% +2.8%
1985 7.9% +0.8%
1986 7.5% -5.0%
1987 7.2% -4.2%
1988 6.6% -7.9%
1989 7.3% +10.6%
1990 6.7% -9.0%
1991 6.7% +0.5%
1992 6.7% +0.7%
1993 6.9% +1.7%
1994 7.1% +3.1%
1995 6.9% -3.0%
1996 6.7% -3.0%
1997 6.8% +2.8%
1998 5.5% -20.2%
1999 4.8% -12.2%
2000 4.2% -11.5%
2001 3.8% -9.4%
2002 4.0% +3.3%
2003 3.6% -10.4%
2004 3.3% -6.9%
2005 2.7% -17.9%
2006 2.3% -16.4%
2007 2.2% -2.5%
2008 2.3% +1.9%
2009 2.2% -2.8%
2010 2.5% +11.7%
2011 2.6% +4.8%
2012 2.7% +4.4%
2013 2.6% -2.9%
2014 2.4% -6.2%
2015 2.2% -10.5%
2016 2.1% -5.2%
2017 2.1% +0.8%
2018 2.0% -5.8%
2019 2.1% +5.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 11.0% 9.5% 12.0% 10
1980s 7.6% 6.6% 8.2% 10
1990s 6.5% 4.8% 7.1% 10
2000s 3.1% 2.2% 4.2% 10
2010s 2.3% 2.0% 2.7% 10

Countries ranked near OECD members

  1. 35 Myanmar 11.3% compare
  2. 36 Romania 11.1% compare
  3. 37 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 10.8% compare
  4. 38 South Africa 10.8% compare
  5. 39 Sao Tome and Principe 10.5% compare
  6. 40 Indonesia 9.9% compare
  7. 41 Kenya 9.8% compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More reference data data for OECD members

All data for OECD members →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in OECD members?
Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in OECD members was 2.1% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower recorded in OECD members?
The highest recorded value was 12.0% in 1971.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower recorded in OECD members?
The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 2018.
How does OECD members rank for out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower?
OECD members ranks 38th out of 43 groups with data for 2019.
Is out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower rising or falling in OECD members?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this OECD members data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower in OECD members. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-and-adolescents-of-primary-and-lower-secondary-school-age-2/oecd-members/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
191 places, 4,340 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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