Persistence to grade 5, total in South Asia
South Asia: Persistence to grade 5, total was 74.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Persistence to grade 5, total in South Asia, 1973–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of cohort.
Analysis
South Asia recorded 74.2% for persistence to grade 5, total in 2023.
The figure is down 25.5% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persistence to grade 5, total in South Asia peaked at 99.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 38.3%, in 1973.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Persistence to grade 5, total in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of cohort | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 38.3% | — |
| 1986 | 53.5% | +39.7% |
| 1987 | 62.0% | +15.8% |
| 1994 | 58.6% | -5.4% |
| 1999 | 62.0% | +5.7% |
| 2000 | 59.0% | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 61.9% | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 81.6% | +31.9% |
| 2014 | 92.8% | +13.8% |
| 2015 | 90.0% | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 87.6% | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 98.5% | +12.5% |
| 2020 | 99.6% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 74.2% | -25.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 38.3% | 38.3% | 38.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 57.7% | 53.5% | 62.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 60.3% | 58.6% | 62.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 60.4% | 59.0% | 61.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 90.1% | 81.6% | 98.5% | 5 |
| 2020s | 86.9% | 74.2% | 99.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More education data for South Asia
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.84 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 160.82 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 152.88 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 68.1% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 24.6% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0959 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is persistence to grade 5, total in South Asia?
- Persistence to grade 5, total in South Asia was 74.2% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest persistence to grade 5, total recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 99.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest persistence to grade 5, total recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.3% in 1973.
- How does South Asia rank for persistence to grade 5, total?
- South Asia ranks 10th out of 12 groups with data for 2023.
- Is persistence to grade 5, total rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Persistence to grade 5, total (% of cohort). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Persistence to grade 5 (percentage of cohort reaching grade 5) is the share of children enrolled in the first grade of primary school who eventually reach grade 5. The estimate is based on the reconstructed cohort method.