Some 7.9 million–one in every five—school-age children and young Filipino adults aged 5 to 24 years old did not attend school in school year 2022-2023, data from the Philippine Statistic Authority show.
According to the PSA, 42.2 million Filipinos were between the ages of 5 and 24 years in SY 2022-2023, when males accounted for 51 percent of the population.
Of this number, 6.25 million were aged 17 to 19 years and another 9.84 million were aged 20 to 24 years. The brackets accounted for 13.7 percent and 74.0 percent out-of-school youth, respectively.
The PSA said the top five reasons cited for not attending school include having completed schooling (21.1 percent), employment (19.7 percent), lack personal interest (12.6 percent), marriage (10.7 percent) and high cost of education/financial problem (9.9 percent).
By sex disaggregation, a higher proportion of males than females were not attending school due to employment (25.9 percent) and lack of personal interest (17.9 percent).
On the other hand, a higher proportion of females than males were not attending school due to the reason that they have already finished schooling (28.9 percent) or due to marriage (17 percent).
Across regions, Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon or CALABARZON had the highest proportion of children not attending school due to employment, with 28.3 percent.
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had the highest proportions of children not attending school due to high cost of education/financial concern (23.2 percent) and family matters, with 16.2 percent.
Mindoro-Marinque-Romblon-Palawan or MIMAROPA Region had the highest proportion of those not attending school due to illness/disability (7.2 percent).
Marriage as reason for not attending school was highest in Cagayan Valley (18.7 percent).
In addition, the Cordillera Administrative Region had the highest proportion of not attending school due to finished schooling (28.8 percent) and lack of personal interest (24.1 percent).
