Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes was 50.5% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia, 1981–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 50.5% for survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 38.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia peaked at 62.4% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 27.9%, in 1988.
Ethiopia ranks 167th of 180 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 48.7% | — |
| 1986 | 49.8% | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 43.9% | -11.8% |
| 1988 | 27.9% | -36.5% |
| 1993 | 56.4% | +102.1% |
| 1994 | 50.5% | -10.4% |
| 1995 | 54.9% | +8.7% |
| 1998 | 44.2% | -19.4% |
| 1999 | 50.9% | +15.2% |
| 2000 | 61.2% | +20.1% |
| 2001 | 55.7% | -9.0% |
| 2002 | 51.0% | -8.5% |
| 2003 | 46.9% | -8.0% |
| 2004 | 62.4% | +33.0% |
| 2005 | 60.8% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 57.8% | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 43.7% | -24.4% |
| 2008 | 38.0% | -13.1% |
| 2009 | 36.7% | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 40.7% | +10.8% |
| 2011 | 36.6% | -10.0% |
| 2014 | 38.2% | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 50.5% | +32.1% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 50.5% is below the median for low income countries, which is 52.3%, 97% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 50.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 65.9%, 77% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Survival rate to the last grade 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | +102.1% | 27.9% | 56.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 42.6% | 27.9% | 49.8% | 4 |
| 1990s | 51.4% | 44.2% | 56.4% | 5 |
| 2000s | 51.4% | 36.7% | 62.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.5% | 36.6% | 40.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 50.5% | 50.5% | 50.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
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 survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia?
- Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in Ethiopia was 50.5% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 62.4% in 2004.
- What is the lowest survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.9% in 1988.
- How does Ethiopia rank for survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes?
- Ethiopia ranks 167th out of 180 countries with data for 2021.
- Is survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.1%. 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 Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release