Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes was 6.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia, 1981–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia stood at 6.5%.
That represents a change of down 32.3% on the previous year and down 18.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia peaked at 19.4% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2021.
Ethiopia ranks 48th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 17.2% | — |
| 1986 | 17.3% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 18.2% | +5.6% |
| 1988 | 15.0% | -18.0% |
| 1993 | 15.4% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 13.9% | -9.5% |
| 1995 | 17.8% | +27.9% |
| 1998 | 17.3% | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 19.4% | +12.1% |
| 2000 | 19.2% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 18.7% | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 18.9% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 12.8% | -32.5% |
| 2004 | 9.1% | -28.3% |
| 2005 | 6.5% | -29.0% |
| 2006 | 7.1% | +10.2% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | -12.6% |
| 2008 | 6.1% | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 7.7% | +26.4% |
| 2010 | 10.2% | +32.0% |
| 2011 | 8.9% | -12.6% |
| 2014 | 8.0% | -9.9% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -73.4% |
| 2022 | 9.6% | +352.8% |
| 2023 | 6.5% | -32.3% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 6.5% is below the median for low income countries, which is 8.7%, 75% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 6.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.3%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +352.8% | 2.1% | 9.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 16.9% | 15.0% | 18.2% | 4 |
| 1990s | 16.8% | 13.9% | 19.4% | 5 |
| 2000s | 11.2% | 6.1% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.0% | 8.0% | 10.2% | 3 |
| 2020s | 6.1% | 2.1% | 9.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 45 Belize 6.9% compare
- 46 Libya 6.7%
- 47 Marshall Islands 6.6% compare
- 49 South Africa 6.3% compare
- 50 Gambia 6.2% compare
- 51 Papua New Guinea 6.1% compare
More education data for Ethiopia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 272,545 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 900,151 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.16 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.03 million (2015)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.93 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1206 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia?
- Repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia was 6.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.4% in 1999.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2021.
- How does Ethiopia rank for repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes?
- Ethiopia ranks 48th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release