Share of children out of school — all countries

Share of children out of school — Middle East & North Africa

Share of children out of school in Middle East & North Africa in 2023 — 4.76%. Since 1978, the indicator has fallen by 24.66 pp.

2023 4.76% −1.32 pp vs 2022
World rank —
Period maximum 29.42%1978
Period minimum 4.04%2019

Trend over time

1978–2023 · % of primary school-age children

Share of children out of school — Middle East & North Africa, 1978–2023010203019781983198819931998200320082013201820231978: 29.42%1981: 22.08%1983: 21.86%1985: 19.43%1999: 17.92%2000: 14.27%2001: 15.64%2002: 8.58%2003: 11.07%2004: 10.68%2005: 10%2006: 8.45%2007: 8.55%2010: 10.47%2011: 8.13%2012: 9.67%2013: 10.89%2014: 7.96%2015: 4.68%2016: 9.47%2017: 6.15%2018: 5.6%2019: 4.04%2020: 4.98%2021: 5.51%2022: 6.08%2023: 4.76%
Change over the period: −24.66 pp Annual average: -0.55 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Middle East & North Africa

Middle East & North Africa 4.76%
World computed 8.88%
Share of children out of school — Middle East & North Africa, by year Middle East & North Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 4.76 −1.32 pp
2022 6.08 +0.58 pp
2021 5.51 +0.52 pp
2020 4.98 +0.94 pp
2019 4.04 −1.56 pp
2018 5.6 −0.55 pp
2017 6.15 −3.32 pp
2016 9.47 +4.78 pp
2015 4.68 −3.28 pp
2014 7.96 −2.93 pp
2013 10.89 +1.22 pp
2012 9.67 +1.54 pp
2011 8.13 −2.33 pp
2010 10.47 —
2007 8.55 +0.1 pp
2006 8.45 −1.55 pp
2005 10 −0.68 pp
2004 10.68 −0.38 pp
2003 11.07 +2.49 pp
2002 8.58 −7.06 pp
2001 15.64 +1.37 pp
2000 14.27 −3.65 pp
1999 17.92 —
1985 19.43 —
1983 21.86 —
1981 22.08 —
1978 29.42 —

About the indicator

The share of children of primary school age not attending school. Unlike the absolute count, the indicator speaks to the state of the education system in a country, and it shows that the task does not reduce to poverty: at comparable income the shares differ severalfold, and the highest values come from countries where schooling is obstructed by conflict or by a nomadic way of life.

Important: The aggregate is weighted by the number of children aged 0–14: total population is the wrong weight here — the share of children differs fourfold across countries.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), license CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.