Education in Najaf, Iraq: official figures
Najaf had 888 primary schools in the 2023/24 school year, with 310,217 pupils (48.5% girls) and 18,826 teachers. This covers government, private and religious schools.
What is the pupil-teacher ratio in Najaf?
Primary schools in Najaf had 16.5 pupils for every teacher in 2023/24 (7th lowest of 15 governorates covered) and 30.2 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 Najaf?
2.6% of primary pupils in Najaf dropped out in 2023/24, 5th 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 Najaf?
30.7% of people in Najaf 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 (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 many years of schooling do people in Najaf have?
31.8% of people in Najaf were deprived on years of schooling in 2024, an indicator of the national multidimensional poverty index, against 31.5% across Iraq (7th 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 Najaf compares with other governorates
Net enrolment in primary school (2023/24) (2023/24)
Najaf ranks 9 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Diyala | 95% |
| 7 | Maysan | 95% |
| 8 | Al-Muthanna | 95% |
| 9 | Najaf | 94% |
| 10 | Dhi Qar | 93% |
| 11 | Wasit | 92% |
| 12 | Nineveh | 91% |
Primary school dropout rate (2023/24) (2023/24)
Najaf ranks 5 of 15, highest first. Federal Iraq only (Kurdistan Region not covered)
| Rank | Region | Primary school dropout rate (2023/24) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Babil | 3.4% |
| 3 | Nineveh | 2.7% |
| 4 | Baghdad | 2.7% |
| 5 | Najaf | 2.6% |
| 6 | Karbala | 2.2% |
| 7 | Maysan | 1.9% |
| 8 | Basra | 1.9% |
Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2023/24) (2023/24)
Najaf ranks 9 of 15, highest first. Pupils divided by teaching staff; federal Iraq only
| Rank | Region | Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2023/24) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Kirkuk | 18.1 |
| 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 |
People deprived on school attendance (2024) (2024)
Najaf ranks 3 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Muthanna | 52.9% |
| 2 | Maysan | 40.0% |
| 3 | Najaf | 30.7% |
| 4 | Babil | 30.2% |
| 5 | Salah al-Din | 29.3% |
| 6 | Wasit | 29.1% |
| 7 | Basra | 28.5% |
More on Najaf: 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…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.