Repeaters, primary, total in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Repeaters, primary, total was 7.6% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Repeaters, primary, total in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of total enrollment.
Analysis
In 2018, repeaters, primary, total in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 7.6%. That is the lowest value across all 49 years on record.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repeaters, primary, total in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 12.5% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 2018.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 9th of 40 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Repeaters, primary, total in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total enrollment | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 12.5% | — |
| 1971 | 12.4% | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 12.3% | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 12.2% | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 11.9% | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 11.6% | -3.2% |
| 1976 | 11.7% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 11.5% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 10.7% | -6.3% |
| 1979 | 10.8% | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 11.1% | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 10.9% | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 11.0% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 10.8% | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 10.8% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 10.8% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 11.4% | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 11.6% | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 11.8% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 11.7% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 11.4% | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 11.2% | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 10.6% | -6.2% |
| 1993 | 10.2% | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 11.0% | +6.9% |
| 1995 | 11.0% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 10.9% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 10.6% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 10.6% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 10.6% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 10.5% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 10.8% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 10.8% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 10.5% | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 10.5% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 9.5% | -10.3% |
| 2006 | 9.2% | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 8.9% | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 9.0% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 8.7% | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 8.5% | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 8.5% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 8.4% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 8.0% | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 7.8% | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 7.7% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 7.7% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 7.6% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.8% | 10.7% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.2% | 10.8% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.8% | 10.2% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.9% | 8.9% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.1% | 7.6% | 8.7% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 97.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per capita 0.004 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 96.0% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 98.2% (2024)
- Labor force, total, per capita 0.3987 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is repeaters, primary, total in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Repeaters, primary, total in Sub-Saharan Africa was 7.6% in 2018, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest repeaters, primary, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 12.5% in 1970.
- What is the lowest repeaters, primary, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 2018.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for repeaters, primary, total?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 9th out of 40 groups with data for 2018.
- Is repeaters, primary, total rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Repeaters, primary, total (% of total enrollment). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Repeaters in primary school are the number of students enrolled in the same grade as in the previous year, as a percentage of all students enrolled in primary school.