Education in Karbala, Iraq: official figures
Karbala had 686 primary schools in the 2023/24 school year, with 283,136 pupils (48.3% girls) and 17,302 teachers. This covers government, private and religious schools.
What is the pupil-teacher ratio in Karbala?
Primary schools in Karbala had 16.4 pupils for every teacher in 2023/24 (6th lowest of 15 governorates covered) and 34.8 pupils per class; the Iraq-wide figures were 17.6 pupils per teacher.
Source: Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems with the Ministry of Education · saved copyWhat is the school dropout rate in Karbala?
2.2% of primary pupils in Karbala dropped out in 2023/24, 6th highest of 15 governorates covered; the federal Iraq figure was 2.2%.
Source: Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems with the Ministry of Education · saved copyHow many children are out of school in Karbala?
24.9% of people in Karbala were deprived on school attendance in 2024, meaning they live in a household with a school-age child out of school, against 26.1% across Iraq (5th lowest of 18 governorates).
Source: Ministry of Planning and Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, with UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) · saved copyHow many years of schooling do people in Karbala have?
38.0% of people in Karbala were deprived on years of schooling in 2024, an indicator of the national multidimensional poverty index, against 31.5% across Iraq (3rd highest of 18 governorates).
Source: Ministry of Planning and Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, with UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) · saved copyHow Karbala compares with other governorates
Net enrolment in primary school (2023/24) (2023/24)
Karbala ranks 4 of 15, highest first. Share of primary-age children enrolled; federal Iraq only (Kurdistan Region not covered)
| Rank | Region | Net enrolment in primary school (2023/24) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baghdad | 96% |
| 2 | Basra | 96% |
| 3 | Anbar | 96% |
| 4 | Karbala | 96% |
| 5 | Salah al-Din | 95% |
| 6 | Diyala | 95% |
| 7 | Maysan | 95% |
Primary school dropout rate (2023/24) (2023/24)
Karbala ranks 6 of 15, highest first. Federal Iraq only (Kurdistan Region not covered)
| Rank | Region | Primary school dropout rate (2023/24) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Nineveh | 2.7% |
| 4 | Baghdad | 2.7% |
| 5 | Najaf | 2.6% |
| 6 | Karbala | 2.2% |
| 7 | Maysan | 1.9% |
| 8 | Basra | 1.9% |
| 9 | Al-Muthanna | 1.8% |
Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2023/24) (2023/24)
Karbala ranks 10 of 15, highest first. Pupils divided by teaching staff; federal Iraq only
| Rank | Region | Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2023/24) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Anbar | 17.5 |
| 8 | Al-Muthanna | 16.8 |
| 9 | Najaf | 16.5 |
| 10 | Karbala | 16.4 |
| 11 | Babil | 14.0 |
| 12 | Wasit | 14.0 |
| 13 | Dhi Qar | 13.0 |
People deprived on school attendance (2024) (2024)
Karbala ranks 14 of 18, highest first. Share of people in the multidimensional poverty index who are deprived on school attendance
| Rank | Region | People deprived on school attendance (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Nineveh | 25.4% |
| 12 | Anbar | 25.4% |
| 13 | Diyala | 25.0% |
| 14 | Karbala | 24.9% |
| 15 | Kirkuk | 19.4% |
| 16 | Erbil | 16.9% |
| 17 | Duhok | 16.5% |
More on Karbala: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · Iraq
Sources
- Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems with the Ministry of Education: Primary education statistics in Iraq (excluding the Kurdistan Region), school year 2023/2024, tables 5, 6, 8, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0329a6fdef93…)
- Ministry of Planning and Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems, with UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI): Multidimensional Poverty in Iraq 2024: Analytical Report (Table 4, Table 16, Annex 2, Annex 3), based on the Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey 2023-24, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2918b603f085…)
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