What share of children in Santa Elena attend basic school?

The net attendance rate in basic general education (ages 5 to 14) in Santa Elena was 95.0% in 2025 against 95.5% nationally; 11th lowest of the 24 provinces.

What share of teenagers in Santa Elena attend secondary school?

86.9% of young people aged 12 to 17 in Santa Elena attended secondary school at the expected level in 2025 (national 87.0%), 11th highest of the 24 provinces.

What share of young people in Santa Elena attend upper secondary school?

The net attendance rate in bachillerato (upper secondary, ages 15 to 17) in Santa Elena was 78.0% in 2025 against 74.7% nationally, 8th highest of the 24 provinces. The gross rate, which counts students of any age, was 90.2%.

Education in Santa Elena, Ecuador: official figures

People aged 24 and over in Santa Elena had 9.7 years of schooling on average in 2025, against 10.4 nationally; 12th lowest of the 24 provinces. In 2018 the average was 9.4 years.

What is the illiteracy rate in Santa Elena?

The illiteracy rate among people aged 15 and over in Santa Elena was 4.3% in 2025, against 6.4% nationally; 6th lowest of the 24 provinces. In 2018 it was 4.5%.

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) · saved copy

Is school attendance rising in Santa Elena?

Net bachillerato attendance in Santa Elena was 72.1% in 2018 and 78.0% in 2025 (up 5.8 percentage points); nationally it went from 71.0% to 74.7%.

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) · saved copy

How Santa Elena compares with other provinces

Average years of schooling (aged 24 and over) (2025)

Santa Elena ranks 13 of 24, highest first.

Rank	Region	Average years of schooling (aged 24 and over)
10	Sucumbios	10.1
11	Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas	10.1
12	Esmeraldas	9.8
13	Santa Elena	9.7
14	Los Rios	9.6
15	Napo	9.6
16	Carchi	9.6

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) · saved copy

Illiteracy rate (aged 15 and over) (2025)

Santa Elena ranks 19 of 24, highest first.

Rank	Region	Illiteracy rate (aged 15 and over)
16	Orellana	4.8%
17	Napo	4.8%
18	Sucumbios	4.5%
19	Santa Elena	4.3%
20	Loja	3.6%
21	Pichincha	3.4%
22	Zamora Chinchipe	2.8%

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) · saved copy

Net attendance rate, bachillerato (ages 15 to 17) (2025)

Santa Elena ranks 8 of 24, highest first.

Rank	Region	Net attendance rate, bachillerato (ages 15 to 17)
5	Canar	80.4%
6	Manabi	80.2%
7	El Oro	78.6%
8	Santa Elena	78.0%
9	Imbabura	77.3%
10	Loja	76.6%
11	Cotopaxi	74.8%

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) · saved copy

Net attendance rate, secondary (ages 12 to 17) (2025)

Santa Elena ranks 11 of 24, highest first.

Rank	Region	Net attendance rate, secondary (ages 12 to 17)
8	Bolivar	87.6%
9	Chimborazo	87.3%
10	Cotopaxi	87.1%
11	Santa Elena	86.9%
12	Guayas	86.7%
13	Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas	86.2%
14	Imbabura	85.9%

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) · saved copy

More on Santa Elena: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · Ecuador

Sources

Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC): ENEMDU Anual 2025 (Encuesta Nacional de Empleo, Desempleo y Subempleo): tabulados de mercado laboral, educación, vivienda, pobreza y desigualdad por provincia, 2018-2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f969666762d3…)

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