Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Population of compulsory school age, both sexes was 68.87 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
68.87 million number
Change on year
up 2.4%
Rank
35th
of 45 groups
All-time high
68.87 million number
in 2019
All-time low
50.72 million number
in 1997
Years of data
23
1997–2019

Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1997–2019

020.0M40.0M60.0M1997200820191997: 50.7M number1998: 50.7M number1999: 50.8M number2000: 52.8M number2001: 52.5M number2002: 53.8M number2003: 53.4M number2004: 53.1M number2005: 57.5M number2006: 57.0M number2007: 56.5M number2008: 56.2M number2009: 56.1M number2010: 56.0M number2011: 56.1M number2012: 56.2M number2013: 57.7M number2014: 58.1M number2015: 63.9M number2016: 64.8M number2017: 65.9M number2018: 67.2M number2019: 68.9M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) recorded 68.87 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 2.4% on the previous year and up 22.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 68.87 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 50.72 million number, in 1997.

That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 35th out of 45 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1997 to 2019.
Year number Change
1997 50.72 million number
1998 50.72 million number +0.0%
1999 50.80 million number +0.1%
2000 52.83 million number +4.0%
2001 52.54 million number -0.6%
2002 53.77 million number +2.3%
2003 53.45 million number -0.6%
2004 53.14 million number -0.6%
2005 57.45 million number +8.1%
2006 56.97 million number -0.8%
2007 56.53 million number -0.8%
2008 56.23 million number -0.5%
2009 56.05 million number -0.3%
2010 55.99 million number -0.1%
2011 56.05 million number +0.1%
2012 56.15 million number +0.2%
2013 57.67 million number +2.7%
2014 58.12 million number +0.8%
2015 63.87 million number +9.9%
2016 64.78 million number +1.4%
2017 65.85 million number +1.7%
2018 67.23 million number +2.1%
2019 68.87 million number +2.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 50.75 million number 50.72 million number 50.80 million number 3
2000s 54.90 million number 52.54 million number 57.45 million number 10
2010s 61.46 million number 55.99 million number 68.87 million number 10

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  1. 32 Peru 7.46 million number compare
  2. 33 Thailand 7.40 million number compare
  3. 34 Italy 6.79 million number compare
  4. 35 Uzbekistan 6.75 million number compare
  5. 36 Yemen 6.42 million number compare
  6. 37 Côte d'Ivoire 6.40 million number compare
  7. 38 Iraq 5.71 million number compare

See the full ranking of 231 places →

More reference data data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 68.87 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The highest recorded value was 68.87 million number in 2019.
What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 50.72 million number in 1997.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for population of compulsory school age, both sexes?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 35th out of 45 groups with data for 2019.
Is population of compulsory school age, both sexes rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is up 22.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/population-of-compulsory-school-age-both-sexes-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-ida-and-ibrd/

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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.