World 8.2bn peopleGDP $118tnLife expectancy 73.5 yrsOnline 73.6%
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Education · Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · High income

Saudi Arabia: education in numbers

Pre-primary enrolment is 18.3% (2021), 157th of 176 in the world and 14th of 15 in the Middle East & North Africa. Primary enrolment is 104.0% (2024), 58th of 191 in the world and 6th of 19 in the Middle East & North Africa. Primary completion is 99.4% (2024), 40th of 168 in the world and 2nd of 19 in the Middle East & North Africa.

Pre-primary enrolment18.3%2021 · world 157/176 · region 14/15Primary enrolment104.0%2024 · world 58/191 · region 6/19Primary completion99.4%2024 · world 40/168 · region 2/19Secondary enrolment110.7%2024 · world 24/176 · region 1/17
Pre-primary enrolment
Saudi ArabiaMiddle East, North Africa, A…High incomeWorld
0%25%50%75%100%199520002005201020152020Saudi Arabia18.3%Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanHigh incomeWorld
Primary enrolment
Saudi ArabiaMiddle East, North Africa, A…High incomeWorld
0%50%100%150%199520002005201020152020Saudi Arabia104.0%Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanHigh incomeWorld
12 indicators

Education: Saudi Arabia in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Pre-primary enrolmentPre-primary enrolment, % gross18.3%2021157/17614/15·11.5%21.8%+5.8 ppsince 201133.8%83.8%60.9%
Primary enrolmentPrimary school enrolment, % gross104.0%202458/1916/19·128.1%103.2%+3.2 ppsince 201494.6%99.8%102.2%
Primary completionPrimary completion rate, % of age group99.4%202440/1682/19·122.3%201197.0%+1.7 ppsince 201383.7%97.8%88.0%
Secondary enrolmentSecondary school enrolment, % gross110.7%202424/1761/17·99.8%2009104.4%+11.8 ppsince 201465.8%103.2%77.3%
Lower secondary completionLower secondary completion rate, % of age group103.5%202414/1682/19·110.1%97.1%−9.0 ppsince 201166.7%95.6%77.9%
Tertiary enrolmentTertiary enrolment, % gross83.9%202422/1721/1928.4%29.3%73.8%+30.7 ppsince 201429.7%82.0%43.6%
Out-of-school childrenChildren out of school, % of primary school age0.5%2024152/17814/17··2.6%−5.4 ppsince 2014—2.5%—
Adult literacyAdult literacy rate, % of people 15+97.9%202436/1413/1879.3%·97.6%+3.5 ppsince 201375.6%97.7%87.7%
Youth literacyYouth literacy rate, % of people 15–2499.9%202413/1481/1995.9%·99.5%+0.7 ppsince 201386.9%99.3%93.1%
Pupils per teacherPupils per teacher, primary13.82018123/17313/20·11.213.82018+28%since 200821.314.023.4
Education spendingPublic spending on education, % of GDP4.5%202379/1848/165.9%5.1%2008·−0.7 ppsince 20084.4%4.7%3.6%
Education, % of budgetEducation spending, % of government expenditure15.6%202451/1795/1517.8%19.3%2008·−3.6 ppsince 200813.1%12.0%14.0%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Saudi Arabia and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Saudi Arabia. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorSaudi ArabiaEgyptIranIraqYemenJordan
Pre-primary enrolment18.3%202129.3%201972.5%20203.8%20111.6%201626.6%2021
Primary enrolment104.0%202496.7%2024102.0%2023104.6%200777.0%201698.6%2024
Primary completion99.4%202498.2%202497.4%202363.6%200760.1%201697.0%2024
Secondary enrolment110.7%202484.8%202485.1%202350.6%200743.7%201691.8%2024
Lower secondary completion103.5%202483.9%202485.2%202344.9%200745.0%201691.3%2024
Tertiary enrolment83.9%202438.0%202558.7%202215.6%20058.8%201135.9%2024
Out-of-school children0.5%20243.5%20240.1%202310.7%200730.6%20161.9%2024
Adult literacy97.9%202479.5%202288.9%202384.1%2021—94.4%2024
Youth literacy99.9%202495.2%202298.7%202392.4%2021—98.7%2024
Egypt: educationIran: educationIraq: educationYemen: educationJordan: education
Education in Middle East & North Africaall 23 economies rankedEducation: high-income countries86 economies rankedEducation: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesSaudi Arabia: all key statisticscountry profile