Number of pupils in secondary education worldwide 2000-2020

The number of pupils in secondary education worldwide increased almost constantly since 2000. While around 452 million children were enrolled in secondary school in 2000, the number reached about 614 million pupils in 2020. At the same time, the completion rate of lower secondary education also increased, reaching over 76 percent in 2019.

Primary education

Since the turn of the millennium, the number of pupils in primary education also increased significantly. About 657 million children were enrolled in primary education in 2000; a number which had grown to 739 million in 2019. That was slightly lower than in 2017 when there were around 742 million primary school pupils. However, a growing number of pupils complete primary education, reaching close to 90 percent in 2019.

Out-of-school population

Despite a growing number of students in primary and secondary schools, not all children are undertaking elementary education. 16 percent of girls were not in lower secondary schools in 2018, which was a slightly higher proportion than for boys. Furthermore, several pupils were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic which forced schools all around the world to close.