Education in Dili, Timor-Leste: official figures
In Dili, 88.2% of children aged 6 to 14 were attending school at the 2022 census. It ranks as the highest of 14 municipalities, against 81.9% for Timor-Leste as a whole.
How many young children attend pre-school in Dili?
In Dili, 20.3% of children aged 3 to 5 were attending school (including pre-school) at the 2022 census. It ranks as the 7th lowest of 14 municipalities, against 20.3% for Timor-Leste as a whole.
Source: National Statistics Institute of Timor-Leste (INETL, I.P.) · saved copyWhat is the literacy rate in Dili?
In Dili, 86.9% of people aged 5 and over were literate at the 2022 census. It ranks as the highest of 14 municipalities, against 70.7% for Timor-Leste as a whole.
Source: National Statistics Institute of Timor-Leste (INETL, I.P.) · saved copyWhat is the youth literacy rate in Dili?
Among young people aged 15 to 24 in Dili, 94.3% were literate at the 2022 census. It ranks as the highest of 14 municipalities, against 87.3% for Timor-Leste as a whole.
Source: National Statistics Institute of Timor-Leste (INETL, I.P.) · saved copyHow many women and men can read in Dili?
In Dili, 87.5% of males and 86.3% of females aged 5 and over were literate at the 2022 census (Timor-Leste: 72.5% of males, 68.8% of females).
Source: National Statistics Institute of Timor-Leste (INETL, I.P.) · saved copyHow many women can read in Dili?
In the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey, 91.1% of women aged 15 to 49 in Dili could read a whole sentence or part of one. It ranks as the highest of 13 municipalities, against 74.6% for Timor-Leste as a whole.
Source: General Directorate of Statistics and Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste, with ICF (DHS Program) · saved copyHow many years of school do women in Dili complete?
Women aged 15 to 49 in Dili had completed a median of 11.2 years of schooling in the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey. It ranks as the highest of 13 municipalities, against 8.0 years for Timor-Leste as a whole.
Source: General Directorate of Statistics and Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste, with ICF (DHS Program) · saved copyHow many schools are there in Dili?
Dili had 67 public and 38 private basic education schools, 9 public and 18 private general secondary schools, and 5 public and 3 private technical secondary schools in 2023 (Ministry of Education EMIS data published by INETL).
Source: National Statistics Institute of Timor-Leste (INETL, I.P.), from Ministry of Education EMIS, Ministry of Health HIMS and the Agriculture Census 2019 · saved copyHow many pupils are there in public basic schools in Dili?
The 67 public basic education schools in Dili had 40,460 pupils and 1,237 teachers in 2023, 32.7 pupils per teacher (25.1 across all public basic schools in Timor-Leste); that is 2nd highest of 13 municipalities.
Source: National Statistics Institute of Timor-Leste (INETL, I.P.), from Ministry of Education EMIS, Ministry of Health HIMS and the Agriculture Census 2019 · saved copyHow many students attend public secondary schools in Dili?
The 9 public secondary schools in Dili had 9,916 students and 382 teachers in 2023, 26.0 students per teacher (30.1 across Timor-Leste); that is 5th lowest of 13 municipalities.
Source: National Statistics Institute of Timor-Leste (INETL, I.P.), from Ministry of Education EMIS, Ministry of Health HIMS and the Agriculture Census 2019 · saved copyHow Dili compares with other capital municipalities
Children aged 6 to 14 attending school (2022)
Dili ranks 1 of 14, highest first. Share of children aged 6-14 attending school at the 2022 census.
| Rank | Region | Children aged 6 to 14 attending school |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dili | 88.2% |
| 2 | Manufahi | 86.9% |
| 3 | Aileu | 85.3% |
| 4 | Manatuto | 85.3% |
| 5 | Baucau | 85.2% |
| 6 | Viqueque | 85.1% |
| 7 | Lautém | 84.7% |
Literacy rate, people aged 5 and over (2022)
Dili ranks 1 of 14, highest first. Share of people aged 5 and over who are literate (2022 census).
| Rank | Region | Literacy rate, people aged 5 and over |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dili | 86.9% |
| 2 | Manufahi | 74.9% |
| 3 | Lautém | 72.4% |
| 4 | Manatuto | 70.6% |
| 5 | Cova Lima | 70.1% |
| 6 | Atauro | 69.2% |
| 7 | Baucau | 68.1% |
Pupils per teacher, public basic schools (2023)
Dili ranks 2 of 13, highest first. Pupils divided by teachers in public basic education schools (Ministry of Education EMIS, 2023). Atauro is counted with Dili in these records.
| Rank | Region | Pupils per teacher, public basic schools |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liquiçá | 33.7 |
| 2 | Dili | 32.7 |
| 3 | Ermera | 31.2 |
| 4 | Oecusse | 25.0 |
| 5 | Lautém | 24.4 |
| 6 | Manatuto | 24.0 |
| 7 | Bobonaro | 22.3 |
More on Dili: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government budget · Timor-Leste
Sources
- National Statistics Institute of Timor-Leste (INETL, I.P.): Timor-Leste Population and Housing Census 2022, Main Report (Tables 4.3, 4.11, 4.12, 4.18, 4.20, 4.22), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bd4177c7b2b0…)
- General Directorate of Statistics and Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste, with ICF (DHS Program): Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2016, Final Report (municipality tables), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5b18945332c9…)
- National Statistics Institute of Timor-Leste (INETL, I.P.), from Ministry of Education EMIS, Ministry of Health HIMS and the Agriculture Census 2019: Timor-Leste in Numbers 2023 (schools, health facilities and staff, agriculture census tables by municipality), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b424ff847790…)
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