Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Least developed countries

Least developed countries: Population of compulsory school age, both sexes was 162.52 million number in 2019. β–² Rising

Latest (2019)
162.52 million number
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
21st
of 44 countries
All-time high
162.52 million number
in 2019
All-time low
81.14 million number
in 1997
Years of data
23
1997–2019

Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Least developed countries, 1997–2019

050.0M100.0M150.0M1997200820191997: 81.1M number1998: 81.1M number1999: 82.8M number2000: 84.8M number2001: 87.3M number2002: 89.2M number2003: 91.7M number2004: 96.4M number2005: 103.7M number2006: 107.0M number2007: 110.6M number2008: 121.8M number2009: 124.8M number2010: 130.2M number2011: 133.3M number2012: 136.3M number2013: 139.4M number2014: 142.3M number2015: 151.3M number2016: 154.6M number2017: 157.3M number2018: 160.0M number2019: 162.5M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

Least developed countries recorded 162.52 million number for population of compulsory school age, both sexes in 2019. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 30.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Least developed countries peaked at 162.52 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 81.14 million number, in 1997.

That places Least developed countries 21st out of 44 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 81.71 million number 81.14 million number 82.84 million number 3
2000s 101.73 million number 84.83 million number 124.80 million number 10
2010s 146.73 million number 130.25 million number 162.52 million number 10

Countries ranked near Least developed countries

  1. 18 Iran, Islamic Republic of 11.19 million number compare
  2. 19 Tanzania, United Republic of 10.74 million number compare
  3. 20 Argentina 10.15 million number compare
  4. 21 Germany 10.06 million number compare
  5. 22 South Africa 9.83 million number compare
  6. 23 Colombia 9.35 million number compare
  7. 24 Afghanistan 9.29 million number compare

See the full ranking of 231 places β†’

More reference data data for Least developed countries

All data for Least developed countries β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Least developed countries?
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Least developed countries was 162.52 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Least developed countries?
The highest recorded value was 162.52 million number in 2019.
What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Least developed countries?
The lowest recorded value was 81.14 million number in 1997.
How does Least developed countries rank for population of compulsory school age, both sexes?
Least developed countries ranks 21st out of 44 countries with data for 2019.
Is population of compulsory school age, both sexes rising or falling in Least developed countries?
Over the last ten years it is up 30.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Least developed countries data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Least developed countries. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/population-of-compulsory-school-age-both-sexes-number/least-developed-countries-un-classification/

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About this data

Indicator
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
231 places, 4,849 data points, 1975–2020
Last refreshed

Population of children within the age span that children are legally obliged to attend school.