Statistics · checked October 2026
School Enrolment Statistics (2026)
Global enrolment, completion and out-of-school figures, and the gap between starting school and finishing it.
Secondary completion across the 189 countries with a published figure runs from about 9% to over 100%, because the measure is a gross enrolment ratio that counts repeating and over-age students — and the gap between starting school and finishing it is where cost, distance and early work do their damage.
| Statistic | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest secondary completion (Monaco) | ~148% | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Why a figure can exceed 100% | Gross enrolment ratio: repeating and over-age students are counted | 2025 | UNESCO definition |
| Countries above 100% | 17 of 189 | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Highest at or below 100% (Bahrain, Croatia, Luxembourg) | ~100% | 2025 | UNESCO |
| World average secondary completion | ~60% | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Lowest on this list (Central African Republic) | ~9% | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Mozambique and Chad | ~18% | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Ethiopia | ~20% | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Lowest in the Americas (Guatemala) | ~35% | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Longest compulsory schooling (Israel, Mexico, Tonga and others) | 15 years | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Shortest (Bangladesh, Madagascar, Myanmar) | 5 years | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Earliest school start (UK, Ireland) | Age 4 | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Latest school start | Age 7 | 2025 | UNESCO |
| Children out of school worldwide | ~250 million | 2025 | UNESCO |
Enrolment is not completion
Gross enrolment can exceed 100% because it counts over-age and under-age pupils. Net enrolment counts the right age group. Completion counts who actually finished.
Only the third number tells you about outcomes, and it is always the lowest of the three.
Afghanistan's figure carries an additional caveat the headline number hides: girls' secondary access is severely restricted, so the national average conceals a split that matters more than the average.
Frequently asked
How many children are out of school?
Roughly 250 million worldwide, concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and in conflict-affected countries.
Which country has the highest school completion?
Monaco, at about 148%. A figure above 100% is not an error: the measure is a gross enrolment ratio, so repeating and over-age students are counted. Seventeen of the 189 countries with a published figure are above 100%, which is why the top of this ranking carries less information than the bottom.
Why is completion lower than enrolment?
Enrolment counts children who start; completion counts those who finish. Cost, distance, early work and early marriage remove children between those two points.
AlphaBetaMinds (2026). School Enrolment Statistics. Retrieved from https://alphabetaminds.com/statistics/school-enrolment-statistics