Out-of-School Children
An estimated 273 million children, adolescents and youth were out of school in 2024, the seventh year in a row the total has risen. Progress has stalled since 2015, with upper secondary age youth and Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for the largest shares. These figures come from UNESCO's Institute for Statistics and the Global Education Monitoring Report.
Key Out-of-School Insights
Numbers are rising again
After falling by 33% between 2000 and 2015, the out-of-school population has crept back up and reached 273 million in 2024 — the seventh consecutive annual increase as enrolment fails to keep pace with a growing school-age population.
Upper secondary is the weak link
Youth of upper secondary age make up the single largest group: 130 million are out of school, 48% of the global total. The out-of-school rate climbs from 11% at primary age to 31% at upper secondary age.
Two regions dominate
Sub-Saharan Africa (98 million) and Central and Southern Asia (85 million) together account for roughly three-quarters of all out-of-school children, and Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where the number is still rising.
Poverty drives exclusion
The out-of-school rate is 36% in low-income countries versus 3% in high-income countries, and the low-income out-of-school population has grown 29% since 2015 while staying broadly flat elsewhere.
Out-of-School Population Over Time
Estimated number of out-of-school children, adolescents and youth worldwide, showing the stall after 2015 and the jump to 273 million on revised 2024 estimates.
Key Finding: The total fell to around 244 million by 2021 but has since risen to 273 million in 2024.
Out of School by Education Level (2024)
Out-of-school numbers and rates by level: primary (11%), lower secondary (15%) and upper secondary (31%) school age.
Key Finding: The out-of-school rate nearly triples between primary and upper secondary age.
Out of School by Region (2024)
Out-of-school children, adolescents and youth by region. Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia hold the largest shares.
Key Finding: Sub-Saharan Africa (98M) and Central & Southern Asia (85M) hold about three-quarters of the global total.
Share of the 273 Million by Level (2024)
How the global out-of-school population splits across primary, lower secondary and upper secondary age groups.
Key Finding: Upper secondary age youth alone account for 130 million — close to half of those excluded.
Out-of-School Rate by Country Income (2024)
The out-of-school rate across World Bank income groups, from low-income to high-income countries.
Key Finding: Children in low-income countries are roughly twelve times as likely to be out of school as those in high-income countries.
Understanding Out-of-School Data
What the out-of-school rate measures
The out-of-school rate is the share of children in a given age group who are not enrolled in any level of education. It is reported separately for three age bands — primary, lower secondary and upper secondary — because exclusion rises sharply with age, from about 11% at primary age to 31% at upper secondary age in 2024. Multiplying each rate by the relevant school-age population gives the headline counts of 79, 64 and 130 million.
How the figures are estimated
UNESCO's Institute for Statistics combines administrative enrolment data reported by ministries with household survey and census attendance data, then models the gaps for years and countries without observations. Counts are anchored to United Nations population projections, so the size of the school-age population feeds directly into the totals as well as the rates.
Why estimates were revised upward
The global total jumped from around 251 million to 272–273 million largely for two reasons. New population projections in the 2024 World Population Prospects raised the estimated 6–17 population by roughly 49 million, adding about 13 million to the count. Fresh enrolment and attendance data — including the impact of Afghanistan's ban on girls' secondary schooling — added a further 8 million, so the rise reflects better measurement, not only worsening conditions.
Caveats and data gaps
Coverage is weakest exactly where exclusion is highest: only about a third of low-income countries have recent enough data, so figures rely heavily on modelling. Conflict zones are under-counted — analysis of ten affected countries suggests roughly 13 million more children should be added, including first estimates for Somalia and gaps in Sudan and Myanmar. Headline numbers should be read as best available estimates with real uncertainty.