Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in OECD members
OECD members: Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes was 1.15 million number in 2019. ▼ Falling
Latest (2019)
1.15 million number
Change on year
up 0.8%
Rank
29th
of 42 groups
All-time high
4.90 million number
in 1971
All-time low
1.14 million number
in 2018
Years of data
50
1970–2019
Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in OECD members, 1970–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
OECD members recorded 1.15 million number for repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in 2019.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 31.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in OECD members peaked at 4.90 million number in 1971 and was at its lowest, 1.14 million number, in 2018.
That places OECD members 29th out of 42 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 50 years of available data.
Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in OECD members, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.88 million number | — |
| 1971 | 4.90 million number | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 4.87 million number | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 4.87 million number | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 4.79 million number | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 4.65 million number | -2.9% |
| 1976 | 4.46 million number | -4.0% |
| 1977 | 4.37 million number | -2.0% |
| 1978 | 4.36 million number | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 4.36 million number | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 4.51 million number | +3.6% |
| 1981 | 4.40 million number | -2.6% |
| 1982 | 4.42 million number | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 4.45 million number | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 4.37 million number | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 4.49 million number | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 4.36 million number | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 4.17 million number | -4.5% |
| 1988 | 3.94 million number | -5.4% |
| 1989 | 3.85 million number | -2.4% |
| 1990 | 3.75 million number | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 3.66 million number | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 3.60 million number | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 3.22 million number | -10.6% |
| 1994 | 3.01 million number | -6.4% |
| 1995 | 2.97 million number | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 2.83 million number | -4.6% |
| 1997 | 2.76 million number | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 2.67 million number | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 2.66 million number | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 2.57 million number | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 2.48 million number | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 2.47 million number | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 2.28 million number | -7.7% |
| 2004 | 2.13 million number | -6.4% |
| 2005 | 2.06 million number | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 1.96 million number | -5.2% |
| 2007 | 1.86 million number | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 1.82 million number | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 1.68 million number | -7.8% |
| 2010 | 1.62 million number | -3.8% |
| 2011 | 1.64 million number | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 1.56 million number | -4.7% |
| 2013 | 1.35 million number | -13.4% |
| 2014 | 1.15 million number | -15.2% |
| 2015 | 1.15 million number | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 1.17 million number | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 1.15 million number | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 1.14 million number | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 1.15 million number | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.65 million number | 4.36 million number | 4.90 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.30 million number | 3.85 million number | 4.51 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.11 million number | 2.66 million number | 3.75 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.13 million number | 1.68 million number | 2.57 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.31 million number | 1.14 million number | 1.64 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More education data for OECD members
- Population ages 0-14 16.4% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 6.28 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 100.7% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per capita 0.0045 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 6.28 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 100.4% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 100.9% (2024)
- Labor force, total, per capita 0.5063 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in OECD members?
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in OECD members was 1.15 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 4.90 million number in 1971.
- What is the lowest repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.14 million number in 2018.
- How does OECD members rank for repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes?
- OECD members ranks 29th out of 42 groups with data for 2019.
- Is repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of pupils enrolled in the same grade for a second (or further) year.