Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Persistence to last grade of primary, total was 61.5% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1970–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of cohort.
Analysis
In 2023, persistence to last grade of primary, total in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at 61.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persistence to last grade of primary, total in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 61.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 51.2%, in 2013.
That places Africa Eastern and Southern 37th out of 45 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | % of cohort | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 54.9% | — |
| 1971 | 56.1% | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 56.4% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 58.7% | +4.1% |
| 1974 | 59.0% | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 56.9% | -3.5% |
| 1976 | 57.6% | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 58.6% | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 57.1% | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 57.6% | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 56.9% | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 56.5% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 58.0% | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 58.7% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 58.5% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 60.1% | +2.7% |
| 1986 | 59.9% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 58.6% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 57.1% | -2.5% |
| 1989 | 57.7% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 57.8% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 57.8% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 59.5% | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 57.9% | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 56.1% | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 56.9% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 54.6% | -4.1% |
| 1997 | 54.0% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 54.1% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 53.9% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 56.2% | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 59.5% | +5.9% |
| 2002 | 59.1% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 56.1% | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 58.9% | +5.2% |
| 2005 | 58.4% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 59.5% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 58.1% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 55.5% | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 53.1% | -4.4% |
| 2010 | 51.6% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 54.1% | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 51.9% | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 51.2% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 51.8% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 54.2% | +4.7% |
| 2016 | 55.9% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 57.8% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 58.7% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 59.8% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 61.6% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 61.6% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 61.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 61.5% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 57.3% | 54.9% | 59.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.2% | 56.5% | 60.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 56.3% | 53.9% | 59.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.4% | 53.1% | 59.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.7% | 51.2% | 59.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.6% | 61.5% | 61.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
More education data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 46.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 121.03 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1573 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 56.6% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.0% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is persistence to last grade of primary, total in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Persistence to last grade of primary, total in Africa Eastern and Southern was 61.5% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest persistence to last grade of primary, total recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 61.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest persistence to last grade of primary, total recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.2% in 2013.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for persistence to last grade of primary, total?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 37th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is persistence to last grade of primary, total rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Persistence to last grade of primary is the percentage of children enrolled in the first grade of primary school who eventually reach the last grade of primary education. The estimate is based on the reconstructed cohort method.