Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes was 13.26 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
13.26 million number
Change on year
down 0.1%
Rank
5th
of 44 groups
All-time high
13.27 million number
in 2018
All-time low
3.41 million number
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019
Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1970–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 13.26 million number for repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in 2019.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 13.27 million number in 2018 and was at its lowest, 3.41 million number, in 1970.
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 5th of 44 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.41 million number | — |
| 1971 | 3.51 million number | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 3.64 million number | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 3.80 million number | +4.4% |
| 1974 | 3.96 million number | +4.3% |
| 1975 | 4.02 million number | +1.6% |
| 1976 | 4.24 million number | +5.4% |
| 1977 | 4.50 million number | +6.1% |
| 1978 | 4.57 million number | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 5.04 million number | +10.2% |
| 1980 | 5.57 million number | +10.4% |
| 1981 | 5.81 million number | +4.5% |
| 1982 | 6.15 million number | +5.7% |
| 1983 | 6.25 million number | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 6.32 million number | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 6.34 million number | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 6.61 million number | +4.2% |
| 1987 | 6.83 million number | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 7.06 million number | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 7.27 million number | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 7.16 million number | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 7.39 million number | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 7.09 million number | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 7.16 million number | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 7.87 million number | +9.9% |
| 1995 | 8.18 million number | +4.0% |
| 1996 | 8.06 million number | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 8.51 million number | +5.6% |
| 1998 | 8.85 million number | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 9.12 million number | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 9.51 million number | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 10.25 million number | +7.8% |
| 2002 | 10.78 million number | +5.2% |
| 2003 | 11.08 million number | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 11.66 million number | +5.3% |
| 2005 | 11.01 million number | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 11.23 million number | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 11.69 million number | +4.1% |
| 2008 | 11.83 million number | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 12.31 million number | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 12.22 million number | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 12.33 million number | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 12.90 million number | +4.6% |
| 2013 | 13.08 million number | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 12.80 million number | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 12.60 million number | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 12.81 million number | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 13.08 million number | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 13.27 million number | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 13.26 million number | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.07 million number | 3.41 million number | 5.04 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.42 million number | 5.57 million number | 7.27 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.94 million number | 7.09 million number | 9.12 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.13 million number | 9.51 million number | 12.31 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.84 million number | 12.22 million number | 13.27 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 2 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.36 million number compare
- 3 Ethiopia 1.11 million number compare
- 4 Madagascar 1.09 million number compare
- 5 Malawi 1.05 million number compare
- 6 Iraq 818,729 number compare
- 7 Uganda 778,349 number compare
- 8 Bangladesh 718,029 number compare
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.43 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 13.26 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 13.27 million number in 2018.
- What is the lowest repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.41 million number in 1970.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 5th out of 44 groups with data for 2019.
- Is repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.