India sees a 37-lakh drop in school enrolments in 2023-24

India witnessed a steep decline in school enrolments last year, with figures dropping by 37 lakh, according to UDISE+ 2023-24 data from the Ministry of Education. This brings the total enrolment down to 24.80 crore, compared to 25.17 crore in 2022-23.

For the first time in years, school enrolment in India has seen such a sharp decline, dropping by over a crore across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. The average school enrolment



stood at 26.36 crore during the previous four years (2018-19 to 2021-22).

Between 2018-19 and 2021-22, school enrolment consistently exceeded 26 crore, with minor year-on-year increases. Even during the Covid-affected academic year of 2020-21, enrolment figures stayed above this mark.

However, this trend reversed for the first time in 2022-23, signalling a change in how enrolment numbers are measured and reported.