IndicatorName: Female pupils below minimum reading proficiency at end of primary (%). Low GAML threshold

Longdefinition: The share of female pupils at the end of primary schooling who are below the minimum proficiency level (MPL) for reading or learning deprived. The MPL in reading at the end of primary is defined by the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML), measured in standard learning assessments, and reported in the context of the SDG 4.1.1b monitoring. It is “Students independently and fluently read simple, short narrative and expository texts. They locate explicitly-stated information. They interpret and give some explanations about the key ideas in these texts. They provide simple, personal opinions or judgements about the information, events and characters in a text.” (UIS and GAML 2019). In other words, a child “attaining” minimum proficiency has the ability to read and understand a short passage of age-appropriate material, whether a simple story or non-fiction narrative of a few paragraphs. In addition to this nutshell statement, the GAML has also proposed a common terminology to describe classifications in the context of the MPL. This is a critical first step toward linking cross-national and national learning assessments with a common benchmark.

Shortdefinition: The share of female pupils at the end of primary schooling who are below the minimum proficiency level (MPL) for reading.


Developmentrelevance:
Ensuring that all students read with comprehension is essential to achieving the ambitious SDG targets and to building human capital. Children need to learn to read so that they can read to learn. Those who do not become proficient in reading by the end of primary school often cannot catch up later, because the curriculum of every school system assumes that secondary-school students can learn through reading. Reading is a gateway to all types of academic learning.  In high-income countries, 90% of all children learn to read with comprehension before the end of primary school, and for the highest-performing countries, the figure reaches 97% or more. Yet past evidence from many low- and middle-income countries has shown that many children are not learning to read with comprehension in primary school.
The LP indicator illustrates progress toward SDG 4’s broader goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all. It particularly highlights progress towards SDG 4.1.1(b) and SDG 4.1.4, which specifies that all children attend primary school and reach at least a minimum proficiency level in reading at the end of primary. The indicator is also aligned with the World Bank’s Human Capital Project, which aims to ensure that children reach their full potential in school and in life. The ability to read with comprehension is a foundational skill that every education system around the world strives to impart by late in primary school—generally by age 10. Moreover, attaining the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education requires first to achieving this basic building block, and so does improving countries’ Human Capital Index scores.

Limitationsandexceptions:
The process of equating proficiency levels on different assessments to the GAML definition is not straightforward. Even the long-running regional assessment initiatives like PASEC (West and Central Africa) and LLECE (Latin America and the Caribbean) use different definitions and a different number of levels than other assessments like PIRLS, and those might not even be the same over time. Their test development methodologies and test administration procedures also vary. Moreover, because not all countries participate in global or regional assessments, for some major countries we rely on their interim reporting using their national assessments; equating these assessments is even more challenging. UIS and the World Bank have mapped how proficiency levels between assessment can equate to one another, but they are not strictly comparable.
Among the differences across assessments, one important point concerns the age at which children are tested. The reference age for our exercise is age 10. However, all learning assessments used in this analysis are sampled based on specific grades rather than age. PIRLS and TIMSS are administered in Grade 4, meaning that the average student assessed is indeed 10 years old, but this is not the case for the regional assessments. PASEC and LLECE are administered in Grade 6, so the average age in those assessments is 12.8 and 12.4, respectively. National assessments are administered at different grades, so to incorporate those assessments, we chose for each country the grade between 4 and 6 (inclusive) for which relevant and reliable data were available. This is consistent with the SDG monitoring by UIS and GAML, which lists “End of Primary (or Grades 4 to 6)” as the relevant age category for the end-of-primary students (SDG 4.1.1b).
In some cases, National Learning Assessments that have not been policy linked are used for learning poverty, if country teams and experts determine that an assessment is of sufficiently quality or has undertaken steps to align their assessments with the Global Proficiency Framework. They will often be reported as interim learning poverty indicators, as they are not fully aligned with SDG 4.1.1b.

Source: World Bank and UIS

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Learning assessments used to calculate Learning Poverty have a minimum proficiency level (MPL) benchmarked by Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML) under the leadership of the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS), which occurred within the reporting window. To operationalize this concept, the current SDG monitoring process is followed by defining “proficiency” as reaching at least the Low International Benchmark on the international PIRLS literacy assessment.
PIRLS is the major global primary-age assessment focused on reading, and if all countries participated in it, the task of constructing global estimates of minimum proficiency would be trivial, as it would require aggregating results from a single cross-national assessment. However, most countries participating in PIRLS are high-income, and only a small minority of low- and middle-income countries participate in the assessment. One of the main contributions of the GAML process is that it has overcome this data gap by benchmarking several major cross-national assessments—and increasingly national learning assessments as well—against the standard.
The MPL for each learning assessment is used to calculate the reading proficiency rate for that country, which is the share of students scoring at or above the minimum proficiency level, and conversely to calculate the learning deprivation.
The Proficiency and Grade Levels used for each assessment is as follows: PIRLS (grade 4) - Level 2 (Low international benchmark, 400 points); TIMSS (grade 4) - Level 2 (Low international benchmark, 400 points); LLECE (SERCE, grade 6) - Level 3 (513.66 points); PASEC (grades 5 and 6) - Level 4 (595.1 points); SEA-PLM (grade 5) - Level 6 and above; National Learning Assessment (grade 4, 5 and 6) - Varies by country.
When a given country had administered multiple types of learning assessments, a hierarchy is applied in the order listed below to ensure best comparability across countries: International or Regional Learning Assessment for Reading (PIRLS, LLECE, PASEC, SEA-PLM) > TIMSS Science > Statistical or Pairwise Linking Exercises > AMPL-bs, Policy Linked National Learning Assessments or Policy Linked Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs) > Non-Policy Linked NLAs (Interim Reporting).
Note that as the GAML and joint coalitions continue their efforts to improve learning data coverage, the hierarchy may be revised.

Topic: Education: Outcomes

Aggregationmethod: Weighted average

License_Type: CC BY-4.0

Unitofmeasure: % of Total

name: Female pupils below minimum reading proficiency at end of primary (%). Low GAML threshold

value: World Development Indicators

sourceNote: The share of female pupils at the end of primary schooling who are below the minimum proficiency level (MPL) for reading or learning deprived. The MPL in reading at the end of primary is defined by the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML), measured in standard learning assessments, and reported in the context of the SDG 4.1.1b monitoring. It is “Students independently and fluently read simple, short narrative and expository texts. They locate explicitly-stated information. They interpret and give some explanations about the key ideas in these texts. They provide simple, personal opinions or judgements about the information, events and characters in a text.” (UIS and GAML 2019). In other words, a child “attaining” minimum proficiency has the ability to read and understand a short passage of age-appropriate material, whether a simple story or non-fiction narrative of a few paragraphs. In addition to this nutshell statement, the GAML has also proposed a common terminology to describe classifications in the context of the MPL. This is a critical first step toward linking cross-national and national learning assessments with a common benchmark.

sourceOrganization: World Bank and UIS


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Male pupils below minimum reading proficiency at end of primary (%). Low GAML threshold

Longdefinition: The share of male pupils at the end of primary schooling who are below the minimum proficiency level (MPL) for reading or learning deprived. The MPL in reading at the end of primary is defined by the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML), measured in standard learning assessments, and reported in the context of the SDG 4.1.1b monitoring. It is “Students independently and fluently read simple, short narrative and expository texts. They locate explicitly-stated information. They interpret and give some explanations about the key ideas in these texts. They provide simple, personal opinions or judgements about the information, events and characters in a text.” (UIS and GAML 2019). In other words, a child “attaining” minimum proficiency has the ability to read and understand a short passage of age-appropriate material, whether a simple story or non-fiction narrative of a few paragraphs. In addition to this nutshell statement, the GAML has also proposed a common terminology to describe classifications in the context of the MPL. This is a critical first step toward linking cross-national and national learning assessments with a common benchmark.

Shortdefinition: The share of male pupils at the end of primary schooling who are below the minimum proficiency level (MPL) for reading.


name: Male pupils below minimum reading proficiency at end of primary (%). Low GAML threshold

sourceNote: The share of male pupils at the end of primary schooling who are below the minimum proficiency level (MPL) for reading or learning deprived. The MPL in reading at the end of primary is defined by the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML), measured in standard learning assessments, and reported in the context of the SDG 4.1.1b monitoring. It is “Students independently and fluently read simple, short narrative and expository texts. They locate explicitly-stated information. They interpret and give some explanations about the key ideas in these texts. They provide simple, personal opinions or judgements about the information, events and characters in a text.” (UIS and GAML 2019). In other words, a child “attaining” minimum proficiency has the ability to read and understand a short passage of age-appropriate material, whether a simple story or non-fiction narrative of a few paragraphs. In addition to this nutshell statement, the GAML has also proposed a common terminology to describe classifications in the context of the MPL. This is a critical first step toward linking cross-national and national learning assessments with a common benchmark.


IndicatorName: Learning poverty: Share of Male Children at the End-of-Primary age below minimum reading proficiency adjusted by Out-of-School Children (%)

Limitationsandexceptions:
The construct of “all children reading by age 10” is an ideal that embodies normative statements about both learning and access. To achieve it, not only should all children be reading proficiently after 3 full years in primary education, but they should also have entered school at age 6 or 7.
By contrast, the actual indicators used to measure learning poverty are based on grade rather than age. Since the assessments are of 4th- through 6th-graders, the children tested will have had at least 3 to 5 years in school to reach what, according to the ideal, should 10 be an age-10 minimum proficiency, or even the entire primary-school-age segment for the out-of-school indicator.
Due to different assessment availability within and between countries, data comparability, both within countries over time and across countries still poses a significant challenge. The additional out of school component further limits comparability.
The learning poverty indicator is based on data covering four-fifths of children at the end of primary school. In other words, a little more than 80 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries live in a country with at least one learning assessment at the end of primary, carried out in the past 9 years. For regional and global aggregates, weighted imputations affect regions with less data coverage. The major gaps are concentrated in countries where the learning crisis is most acute. Less than half of children in Sub-Saharan Africa live in a country with a National Large-Scale Learning Assessment (NLSA) or a international of regional large-scale learning assessment (ILSA or RLSA) of adequate quality to be used for this purpose.
This extensive coverage became possible only in recent years, with the progress in measuring learning in countries and the GAML’s efforts to establish comparability, which has made possible the construction of a global indicator based on harmonized proficiency levels. Future efforts by coalition organizations are also ensuring more flexible assessment options are available for expanding data availability for countries, such as the Assessment of Minimum Proficiency Levels (AMPL) and policy linking exercises led by UIS.

Longdefinition: The share of male 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand a short passage of age-appropriate material—in other words, those who are below the “minimum proficiency” threshold for reading. This measure is defined as the union of two deprivations: 1) schooling deprivation and 2) learning deprivation. A child is considered schooling-deprived (SD) if he or she is of primary school age and out-of-school. The dimension of learning deprivation (LD) applies only for children in school, and identifies those pupils who are below the minimum proficiency level (MPL) for reading, as defined by the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML), measured in standard learning assessments, and reported in the context of the SDG 4.1.1b monitoring. This “union approach” to measurement reflects the choice that, as presented in the SDGs, all age 10 children must be both in school and learning. The final learning poverty measure combines the two dimensions in a single indicator using the following formula: LP = SD + [(1-SD) x LD]

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The learning poverty indicator brings together schooling and learning indicators. It starts with the share of children in school who haven’t achieved minimum reading proficiency (Learning Deprived) and adjusts it by the proportion of children who are out of school (Schooling Deprived).
Formally, Learning Poverty is calculated as: [LD* (1-SD)] + [1 * SD]
where LP = Learning poverty; LD = Learning deprivation or the share of children at the end of primary who read at below the minimum proficiency level, as defined by the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML) in the context of the SDG 4.1.1 monitoring; SD = Schooling deprivation or the share of primary-school-age children who are out-of-school (OOS) and in which all OOS are regarded as being below the minimum proficiency level.
Because out-of-school children are treated as non-proficient in reading, learning poverty will always be higher than the share of children in school who haven't achieved minimum reading proficiency. For countries with a very low schooling deprivation, the learning deprivation value will be very close to Learning Poverty.
Estimating the current level of global and regional learning poverty requires deciding how to define “current.” We include results of assessments within four years before or after a set anchor year. This decision is driven by data availability. International and regional large-scale learning assessments used for SDG 4.1.1b reporting are carried out only every 3 to 4 years. And even where assessments have been carried out recently, there is a lag of a couple of years before the data are available. This band is intended as a moving window. In the original 2019 release, the anchor year used was 2015 (Assessments between 2011 and 2019 are included in the learning poverty estimate). In the 2022 Global Update, the anchor year was moved to 2019 (assessments between 2015 and 2023 are included).
Aggregations for each region comprise the average learning poverty of countries with available data, weighted by their population ages 10–14 years old. To obtain a global estimate, we weight the regional aggregations by the 10–14-year-old population regardless of data availability. This is equivalent to imputing missing country data using regional values.

Shortdefinition: The share of male 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand a short passage of age-appropriate material—in other words, those who are below the minimum proficiency level (MPL) for reading.

value: Education


name: Learning poverty: Share of Male Children at the End-of-Primary age below minimum reading proficiency adjusted by Out-of-School Children (%)

sourceNote: The share of male 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand a short passage of age-appropriate material—in other words, those who are below the “minimum proficiency” threshold for reading. This measure is defined as the union of two deprivations: 1) schooling deprivation and 2) learning deprivation. A child is considered schooling-deprived (SD) if he or she is of primary school age and out-of-school. The dimension of learning deprivation (LD) applies only for children in school, and identifies those pupils who are below the minimum proficiency level (MPL) for reading, as defined by the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML), measured in standard learning assessments, and reported in the context of the SDG 4.1.1b monitoring. This “union approach” to measurement reflects the choice that, as presented in the SDGs, all age 10 children must be both in school and learning. The final learning poverty measure combines the two dimensions in a single indicator using the following formula: LP = SD + [(1-SD) x LD]


IndicatorName: Female primary school age children out-of-school (%)

Limitationsandexceptions:
The enrollment for a given learning poverty release are not strictly comparable between countries, due to the differences in enrollment years and definitions, which are determined by best-match with the assessment year and data availability of enrollment indicators.
The measure will also differ from out of school estimates using household survey data, which UIS reports for SDG 4.1.4. Households survey estimates are not used for Schooling Deprivation because data is typically reported for countries in various years and with time gaps. School surveys are more feasibly collected annually, while household data collection occurs every few years and can also depend on country demand. School surveys also allow more global consistency as the same survey and source data are used across countries. However, the source used to compute the total school-age population differ in some cases where a country provides their national estimates over the default UNDP population data. However, there are potential trade-offs in precision from school surveys as responses come from school representatives rather than using microdata.
Enrollment indicators are based on annual school surveys, but do not necessarily reflect actual attendance or dropout rates during the year. Also, enrolment rate (any definition) is affected by different age-reference points for enrollment. The length of education differs across countries and can influence enrollment rates, although the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) tries to minimize the difference. For example, a shorter duration for primary education tends to increase the rate; a longer one to decrease it (in part because older children are more at risk of dropping out). Moreover, age at enrollment may be inaccurately estimated or misstated, especially in communities where registration of births is not strictly enforced. The population data further affects the reference age.
Due to the limitations described, in some cases, country specialists will provide a data point that better reflects enrollment in the country.

Longdefinition: The share of female children of primary-school age who are out of school or schooling deprived. This dimension is linked to the indicator 4.1.4 from the SDG 4 thematic framework. This element reflects the belief that all primary-age children should be learning in schools of some type, a belief that every country has enshrined in law and that is enshrined in the SDGs. In addition to fulfilling a universal right and serving as a necessary condition for sustained learning, schooling offers many benefits beyond learning. It contributes to children’s health and well-being such as promoting safety, nutrition, and socialization, and facilitating parents' labor market participation and, at the macro level, schooling can help build social cohesion, democracy, and peace. All those complementary functions mean that schooling has value over and above the measured cognitive learning that it leads to, and they justify including schooling deprivation in the concept of learning poverty.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Schooling Deprivation is derived using enrollment rates computed by UIS using administrative records and follows the SDG 4.1.4 indicator. To ensure country coverage of data, we consider other enrollment definitions to use for learning poverty, if the first-best option is not available.
We construct an enrollment dataset from 1990 to the year of the current release, relying on multiple enrollment definitions. Our dataset is constructed from UIS (UNESCO Institute of Statistics), and other sources suggested by World Bank regional or country education specialists. Data sources are typically from administrative records (school registers or school censuses) for data on enrolment by age, and UNPD population estimates for school-age population (UIS). Enrolment by single years of age in all levels of education and the total primary-school-age population are used to compute enrollment rates.
We follow this hierarchy of enrollment definitions: Country specialist validated data > Adjusted Net Enrollment Rate (ANER) > Total Net Enrollment Rate (TNER) > Net enrollment rate (NER) > Gross Enrollment Rate (GER; if the gross enrollment rate is higher than 100%, it is adjusted to be 100%).
Our preferred measure of school participation is ANER, because it accounts for some primary school aged children who might enter primary school early and advance to secondary school before they reach the official upper age limit of primary education. Adjusted net enrollment is a measure of both “stock” and “flow” and accounts for both age- and grade-based distortions, as it is the percent of primary school age children enrolled either in primary or secondary education, as opposed to gross enrollment which is the share of children of any age that are enrolled in primary school, or net enrollment which is the share of primary school age children that are enrolled in primary school. The next-best indicator is used if ANER is unavailable. In some cases, country specialists will provide a data point that reflects enrollment in the country better than UIS statistics which is used. In future Learning Poverty releases, the enrollment hierarchy may be adjusted as availability of indicator definitions change.
The enrollment year used is the one that best pairs with the assessment year used to compute Learning Deprivation. The year of the preferred assessment is the base. If the same enrollment year is not available, we use a step function to fill the data in with the value of the closest year. If there is data available for two years equally close to the year to fill, the older value is used. This procedure to extrapolate enrollment for missing values is required for us to pair the proficiency measure with enrollment measures from the same year, or its best proxy when enrollment is not available for the same year of the assessment.

Shortdefinition: The share of female children of primary-school age who are out of school.


name: Female primary school age children out-of-school (%)

sourceNote: The share of female children of primary-school age who are out of school or schooling deprived. This dimension is linked to the indicator 4.1.4 from the SDG 4 thematic framework. This element reflects the belief that all primary-age children should be learning in schools of some type, a belief that every country has enshrined in law and that is enshrined in the SDGs. In addition to fulfilling a universal right and serving as a necessary condition for sustained learning, schooling offers many benefits beyond learning. It contributes to children’s health and well-being such as promoting safety, nutrition, and socialization, and facilitating parents' labor market participation and, at the macro level, schooling can help build social cohesion, democracy, and peace. All those complementary functions mean that schooling has value over and above the measured cognitive learning that it leads to, and they justify including schooling deprivation in the concept of learning poverty.


IndicatorName: Male primary school age children out-of-school (%)

Longdefinition: The share of male children of primary-school age who are out of school or schooling deprived. This dimension is linked to the indicator 4.1.4 from the SDG 4 thematic framework. This element reflects the belief that all primary-age children should be learning in schools of some type, a belief that every country has enshrined in law and that is enshrined in the SDGs. In addition to fulfilling a universal right and serving as a necessary condition for sustained learning, schooling offers many benefits beyond learning. It contributes to children’s health and well-being such as promoting safety, nutrition, and socialization, and facilitating parents' labor market participation and, at the macro level, schooling can help build social cohesion, democracy, and peace. All those complementary functions mean that schooling has value over and above the measured cognitive learning that it leads to, and they justify including schooling deprivation in the concept of learning poverty.

Shortdefinition: The share of male children of primary-school age who are out of school.


name: Male primary school age children out-of-school (%)

sourceNote: The share of male children of primary-school age who are out of school or schooling deprived. This dimension is linked to the indicator 4.1.4 from the SDG 4 thematic framework. This element reflects the belief that all primary-age children should be learning in schools of some type, a belief that every country has enshrined in law and that is enshrined in the SDGs. In addition to fulfilling a universal right and serving as a necessary condition for sustained learning, schooling offers many benefits beyond learning. It contributes to children’s health and well-being such as promoting safety, nutrition, and socialization, and facilitating parents' labor market participation and, at the macro level, schooling can help build social cohesion, democracy, and peace. All those complementary functions mean that schooling has value over and above the measured cognitive learning that it leads to, and they justify including schooling deprivation in the concept of learning poverty.


Preprimary education, duration (years)

IndicatorName: Preprimary education, duration (years)

Longdefinition: Preprimary duration refers to the number of grades (years) in preprimary school.

Periodicity: Annual

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Aggregate data are based on World Bank estimates.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).

Topic: Education: Inputs

Aggregationmethod: Median


sourceNote: Preprimary duration refers to the number of grades (years) in preprimary school.

sourceOrganization: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.


Pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary

Developmentrelevance: The pupil-teacher ratio is often used to compare the quality of schooling across countries, but it is often weakly related to student learning and quality of education.

IndicatorName: Pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary

Limitationsandexceptions: The comparability of pupil-teacher ratios across countries is affected by the definition of teachers and by differences in class size by grade and in the number of hours taught, as well as the different practices countries employ such as part-time teachers, school shifts, and multi-grade classes. Moreover, the underlying enrollment levels are subject to a variety of reporting errors.

Longdefinition: Preprimary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in preprimary school.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Data as of February 2020.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Pupil-teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the number of students at the specified level of education by the number of teachers at the same level of education.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


sourceNote: Preprimary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in preprimary school.

sourceOrganization: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Data as of February 2020.


School enrollment, preprimary (% gross)

Developmentrelevance: Gross enrollment ratios indicate the capacity of each level of the education system, but a high ratio may reflect a substantial number of overage children enrolled in each grade because of repetition or late entry rather than a successful education system. The net enrollment rate excludes overage and underage students and more accurately captures the system's coverage and internal efficiency. Differences between the gross enrollment ratio and the net enrollment rate show the incidence of overage and underage enrollments.

IndicatorName: School enrollment, preprimary (% gross)

Limitationsandexceptions: Enrollment indicators are based on annual school surveys, but do not necessarily reflect actual attendance or dropout rates during the year. Also, the length of education differs across countries and can influence enrollment rates, although the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) tries to minimize the difference. For example, a shorter duration for primary education tends to increase the rate; a longer one to decrease it (in part because older children are more at risk of dropping out). Moreover, age at enrollment may be inaccurately estimated or misstated, especially in communities where registration of births is not strictly enforced.

Longdefinition: Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Preprimary education refers to programs at the initial stage of organized instruction, designed primarily to introduce very young children to a school-type environment and to provide a bridge between home and school.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Gross enrollment ratio for pre-primary school is calculated by dividing the number of students enrolled in pre-primary education regardless of age by the population of the age group which officially corresponds to pre-primary education, and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).

Topic: Education: Participation


sourceNote: Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Preprimary education refers to programs at the initial stage of organized instruction, designed primarily to introduce very young children to a school-type environment and to provide a bridge between home and school.

sourceOrganization: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.


IndicatorName: School enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross)

value: Gender


name: School enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross)


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: School enrollment, preprimary, male (% gross)


name: School enrollment, preprimary, male (% gross)


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


Developmentrelevance:
Trained teachers refer to teaching force with the necessary pedagogical skills to teach and use teaching materials in an effective manner. The share of trained teachers reveals a country's commitment to investing in the development of its human capital engaged in teaching.

Teachers are important resource, especially for children who are the first-generation of receiving education in their families and heavily rely on teachers in acquiring basic literacy skills. However, rapid increase in enrollments may cause the shortage of trained teachers. Education finance is a key for appropriate teacher allocations, since teacher salaries account for a large share of education budgets. The shortage of trained teacher may result in low qualified teachers in more disadvantaged area.

IndicatorName: Trained teachers in preprimary education, female (% of female teachers)

Limitationsandexceptions: This indicator does not take into account differences in teachers' experiences and status, teaching methods, teaching materials, and classroom conditions - all factors that affect the quality of teaching and learning. Some teachers without formal training may have acquired equivalent pedagogical skills through professional experience. In addition, national standards regarding teacher qualifications and pedagogical skills may vary.

Longdefinition: Trained teachers in preprimary education are the percentage of preprimary school teachers who have received the minimum organized teacher training (pre-service or in-service) required for teaching in a given country.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Share of trained teachers is calculated by dividing the number of trained teachers of the specified level of education by total number of teachers at the same level of education, and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Trained teachers in preprimary education, female (% of female teachers)

sourceNote: Trained teachers in preprimary education are the percentage of preprimary school teachers who have received the minimum organized teacher training (pre-service or in-service) required for teaching in a given country.


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Trained teachers in preprimary education, male (% of male teachers)


name: Trained teachers in preprimary education, male (% of male teachers)


IndicatorName: Trained teachers in preprimary education (% of total teachers)


name: Trained teachers in preprimary education (% of total teachers)


Primary school starting age (years)

IndicatorName: Primary school starting age (years)

Limitationsandexceptions: The theoretical entrance age to a given programme or level is typically, but not always, the most common entrance age.

Longdefinition: Primary school starting age is the age at which students would enter primary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


sourceNote: Primary school starting age is the age at which students would enter primary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.


Developmentrelevance: The World Bank and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics jointly developed the primary completion rate indicator. Increasingly used as a core indicator of an education system's performance, it reflects an education system's coverage and the educational attainment of students.

IndicatorName: Primary completion rate, female (% of relevant age group)

Limitationsandexceptions:
Data limitations preclude adjusting for students who drop out during the final year of primary education. Thus this rate is a proxy that should be taken as an upper estimate of the actual primary completion rate.

There are many reasons why the primary completion rate can exceed 100 percent. The numerator may include late entrants and overage children who have repeated one or more grades of primary education as well as children who entered school early, while the denominator is the number of children at the entrance age for the last grade of primary education.

Longdefinition: Primary completion rate, or gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, is the number of new entrants (enrollments minus repeaters) in the last grade of primary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of primary education. Data limitations preclude adjusting for students who drop out during the final year of primary education.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Primary completion rate is calculated by dividing the number of new entrants (enrollment minus repeaters) in the last grade of primary education, regardless of age, by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of primary education and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Primary completion rate, female (% of relevant age group)

sourceNote: Primary completion rate, or gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, is the number of new entrants (enrollments minus repeaters) in the last grade of primary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of primary education. Data limitations preclude adjusting for students who drop out during the final year of primary education.


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Primary completion rate, male (% of relevant age group)


name: Primary completion rate, male (% of relevant age group)


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)

value: Aid Effectiveness

value: Climate Change

name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


name: Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


Developmentrelevance: A relative high concentration of the adult population in a given level of education reflects the capacity of the educational system in the corresponding level of education. Educational attainment is closely related to the skills and competencies of a country's population, and could be seen as a proxy of both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the stock of human capital.

IndicatorName: Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, female (%) (cumulative)

Limitationsandexceptions: Caution is required when using this indicator for cross-country comparison, since the countries do not always classify degrees and qualifications at the same International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) levels, even if they are received at roughly the same age or after a similar number of years of schooling. Also, certain educational programmes and study courses cannot be easily classified according to ISCED. This indicator only measures educational attainment in terms of level of education attained, i.e. years of schooling, and do not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).

Longdefinition: The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed primary education.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
It is calculated by dividing the number of population ages 25 and older who attained or completed primary education by the total population of the same age group and multiplying by 100. The number 0 means zero or small enough that the number would round to zero.

Data are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics mainly from national population census, household survey, and labour force survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.


name: Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, female (%) (cumulative)

sourceNote: The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed primary education.


IndicatorName: Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, male (%) (cumulative)


name: Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, male (%) (cumulative)


IndicatorName: Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative)


name: Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative)


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


Primary education, duration (years)

IndicatorName: Primary education, duration (years)

Longdefinition: Primary duration refers to the number of grades (years) in primary school.


sourceNote: Primary duration refers to the number of grades (years) in primary school.


Primary education, pupils

IndicatorName: Primary education, pupils

Longdefinition: Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Enrollment includes Individuals officially registered in a given educational programme, or stage or module thereof, regardless of age.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).

Aggregationmethod: Sum


sourceNote: Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.


Primary education, pupils (% female)

Developmentrelevance: The share of girls allows an assessment on gender composition in school enrollment. A value greater than 50% indicates participation of more girls at a specific level or programme of education.

IndicatorName: Primary education, pupils (% female)

Limitationsandexceptions: The percentage of female enrollment is limited in assessing gender parity, because it's affected by the gender composition of population. Ratio of female to male in enrollment rate provides a population adjusted measure of gender parity.

Longdefinition: Female pupils as a percentage of total pupils at primary level include enrollments in public and private schools.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Percentage of female enrollment is calculated by dividing the total number of female students at a given level of education by the total enrollment at the same level, and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


sourceNote: Female pupils as a percentage of total pupils at primary level include enrollments in public and private schools.


Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

IndicatorName: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

Longdefinition: Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in primary school.


sourceNote: Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in primary school.


School enrollment, primary (% gross)

IndicatorName: School enrollment, primary (% gross)

Longdefinition: Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Gross enrollment ratio for primary school is calculated by dividing the number of students enrolled in primary education regardless of age by the population of the age group which officially corresponds to primary education, and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


sourceNote: Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.


IndicatorName: School enrollment, primary, female (% gross)


name: School enrollment, primary, female (% gross)


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: School enrollment, primary, male (% gross)


name: School enrollment, primary, male (% gross)


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


Developmentrelevance: The gross intake ratio in the first grade of primary education indicates the level of access to primary education and the education system's capacity to provide access to primary education. A low gross intake ratio in the first grade of primary education reflects the fact that many children do not enter primary education even though school attendance, at least through the primary level, is mandatory in most countries. Because the gross intake ratio includes all new entrants regardless of age, it can exceed 100 percent in some situations, such as immediately after fees have been abolished or when the number of reenrolled children is large.

IndicatorName: Gross intake ratio in first grade of primary education, female (% of relevant age group)

Limitationsandexceptions: The quality of data is affected when new entrants and repeaters are not correctly distinguished in the first grade of primary education. Caution is also needed for countries with a total population under 100,000 since the United Nations Population Division neither publish nor endorse single-age data for those countries. The data are highly subject to fluctuations in migration and other factors.

Longdefinition: Gross intake ratio in first grade of primary education is the number of new entrants in the first grade of primary education regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the population of the official primary entrance age.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Gross intake ratio in the first grade of primary education is calculated by dividing the number of new entrants (enrollments minus repeaters) in the first grade of primary education, regardless of age, by the population of the official primary entrance age and multiplying the result by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).

Topic: Education: Efficiency


name: Gross intake ratio in first grade of primary education, female (% of relevant age group)

sourceNote: Gross intake ratio in first grade of primary education is the number of new entrants in the first grade of primary education regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the population of the official primary entrance age.


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Gross intake ratio in first grade of primary education, male (% of relevant age group)


name: Gross intake ratio in first grade of primary education, male (% of relevant age group)


IndicatorName: Gross intake ratio in first grade of primary education, total (% of relevant age group)


name: Gross intake ratio in first grade of primary education, total (% of relevant age group)


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


School enrollment, primary (% net)

IndicatorName: School enrollment, primary (% net)

Longdefinition: Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Net enrollment rate for primary school is calculated by dividing the number of students of official school age enrolled in primary education by the population of the age group which officially corresponds to primary education, and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


sourceNote: Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.


IndicatorName: School enrollment, primary, female (% net)


name: School enrollment, primary, female (% net)


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: School enrollment, primary, male (% net)


name: School enrollment, primary, male (% net)


Developmentrelevance: The net intake rate in the first grade of primary education indicates the level of access to primary education and the education system's capacity to provide access to primary education. A high net intake rate indicates a high degree of access to primary education for the official primary school entrance age children.

IndicatorName: Net intake rate in grade 1, female (% of official school-age population)

Longdefinition: Net intake rate in grade 1 is the number of new entrants in the first grade of primary education who are of official primary school entrance age, expressed as a percentage of the population of the corresponding age.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Net intake rate in the first grade of primary education is calculated by dividing the number of children of official primary school entrance age who enter grade 1 of primary education for the first time by the population of the same age, and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).

name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


name: Net intake rate in grade 1, female (% of official school-age population)

sourceNote: Net intake rate in grade 1 is the number of new entrants in the first grade of primary education who are of official primary school entrance age, expressed as a percentage of the population of the corresponding age.


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Net intake rate in grade 1, male (% of official school-age population)


name: Net intake rate in grade 1, male (% of official school-age population)


IndicatorName: Net intake rate in grade 1 (% of official school-age population)


name: Net intake rate in grade 1 (% of official school-age population)


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Over-age students, primary, female (% of female enrollment)

Longdefinition: Over-age students are the percentage of those enrolled who are older than the official school-age range for primary education.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The percentage of over-age students is calculated by dividing the number of students who are older than the official school-age range for primary education by primary school enrollment, and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses. The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Over-age students, primary, female (% of female enrollment)

sourceNote: Over-age students are the percentage of those enrolled who are older than the official school-age range for primary education.


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Over-age students, primary, male (% of male enrollment)


name: Over-age students, primary, male (% of male enrollment)


IndicatorName: Over-age students, primary (% of enrollment)


name: Over-age students, primary (% of enrollment)


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


Developmentrelevance: The share of enrollment in private institutions indicates the scale and capacity of private education within a country. A high percentage suggests strong involvement of the non-governmental sector (including religious bodies, other organizations, associations, communities, private enterprises or persons) in providing organized educational programmes. However, in countries where private institutions are substantially subsidized or aided by the government, the distinction between private and public educational institutions may be less clear-cut especially when certain students are directly financed through government scholarships.

IndicatorName: School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)

Limitationsandexceptions: Religious or private schools, which are not registered with the government or don't follow the common national curriculum, may not be captured.

Longdefinition: Private enrollment refers to pupils or students enrolled in institutions that are not operated by a public authority but controlled and managed, whether for profit or not, by a private body such as a nongovernmental organization, religious body, special interest group, foundation or business enterprise.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The share of students in private primary school is calculated by dividing the number of students enrolled in private educational institutions at primary level by total enrollment (public and private) at the same level of education, and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)

sourceNote: Private enrollment refers to pupils or students enrolled in institutions that are not operated by a public authority but controlled and managed, whether for profit or not, by a private body such as a nongovernmental organization, religious body, special interest group, foundation or business enterprise.


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


Developmentrelevance: The cohort survival rate measures an education system's holding power and internal efficiency. Rates approaching 100 percent indicate high retention and low dropout levels.

IndicatorName: Persistence to grade 5, female (% of cohort)

Limitationsandexceptions: The estimates have limitations in capturing real trend in that an observed rate will be applied to the underlying indicators such as repetition rate and promotion rate throughout the cohort life, and re-entrants, grade skipping, migration or transfers during a school year are not adequately captured.

Longdefinition: Persistence to grade 5 (percentage of cohort reaching grade 5) is the share of children enrolled in the first grade of primary school who eventually reach grade 5. The estimate is based on the reconstructed cohort method.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Cohort survival rate is calculated by dividing the total number of children belonging to a cohort who reached each successive grade of the specified level of education by the number of children in the same cohort; those originally enrolled in the first grade of primary education, and multiplying by 100. To reflect current patterns of grade transition, it is calculated based on the reconstructed cohort method, which uses data on enrollment by grade for the two most recent years and data on repeaters by grade for the most recent of those two years. Aggregate data are based on World Bank estimates.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Persistence to grade 5, female (% of cohort)

sourceNote: Persistence to grade 5 (percentage of cohort reaching grade 5) is the share of children enrolled in the first grade of primary school who eventually reach grade 5. The estimate is based on the reconstructed cohort method.


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Persistence to grade 5, male (% of cohort)


name: Persistence to grade 5, male (% of cohort)


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Persistence to grade 5, total (% of cohort)


name: Persistence to grade 5, total (% of cohort)


IndicatorName: Persistence to last grade of primary, female (% of cohort)

Longdefinition: Persistence to last grade of primary is the percentage of children enrolled in the first grade of primary school who eventually reach the last grade of primary education. The estimate is based on the reconstructed cohort method.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Cohort survival rate is calculated by dividing the total number of children belonging to a cohort who reached each successive grade of the specified level of education by the number of children in the same cohort; those originally enrolled in the first grade of primary education, and multiplying by 100. To reflect current patterns of grade transition, it is calculated based on the reconstructed cohort method, which uses data on enrollment by grade for the two most recent years and data on repeaters by grade for the most recent of those two years.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Persistence to last grade of primary, female (% of cohort)

sourceNote: Persistence to last grade of primary is the percentage of children enrolled in the first grade of primary school who eventually reach the last grade of primary education. The estimate is based on the reconstructed cohort method.


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Persistence to last grade of primary, male (% of cohort)


name: Persistence to last grade of primary, male (% of cohort)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort)

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Cohort survival rate is calculated by dividing the total number of children belonging to a cohort who reached each successive grade of the specified level of education by the number of children in the same cohort; those originally enrolled in the first grade of primary education, and multiplying by 100. To reflect current patterns of grade transition, it is calculated based on the reconstructed cohort method, which uses data on enrollment by grade for the two most recent years and data on repeaters by grade for the most recent of those two years.
Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort)


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


Developmentrelevance: Data on repeaters are often used to indicate an education system's internal efficiency. Repeaters not only increase the cost of education for the family and the school system, but also use limited school resources.

IndicatorName: Repeaters, primary, female (% of female enrollment)

Limitationsandexceptions: Country policies on repetition and promotion differ. In some cases the number of repeaters is controlled because of limited capacity. In other cases the number of repeaters is almost 0 because of automatic promotion – suggesting a system that is highly efficient but that may not be endowing students with enough cognitive skills.

Longdefinition: 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.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Share of repeaters in primary school is calculated by dividing the sum of repeaters in all grades of primary school by the total number of students enrolled in primary school, and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Repeaters, primary, female (% of female enrollment)

sourceNote: 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.


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Repeaters, primary, male (% of male enrollment)


name: Repeaters, primary, male (% of male enrollment)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Repeaters, primary, total (% of total enrollment)


name: Repeaters, primary, total (% of total enrollment)


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Trained teachers in primary education, female (% of female teachers)

Longdefinition: Trained teachers in primary education are the percentage of primary school teachers who have received the minimum organized teacher training (pre-service or in-service) required for teaching in a given country.


name: Trained teachers in primary education, female (% of female teachers)

sourceNote: Trained teachers in primary education are the percentage of primary school teachers who have received the minimum organized teacher training (pre-service or in-service) required for teaching in a given country.


IndicatorName: Trained teachers in primary education, male (% of male teachers)


name: Trained teachers in primary education, male (% of male teachers)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Trained teachers in primary education (% of total teachers)


name: Trained teachers in primary education (% of total teachers)


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


Primary education, teachers

Developmentrelevance: Women teachers are important as they serve as role models to girls and help to attract and retain girls in school.

IndicatorName: Primary education, teachers

Longdefinition: Primary education teachers includes full-time and part-time teachers.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Teachers refer to persons employed full-time or part-time in an official capacity to guide and direct the learning experience of pupils and students, irrespective of their qualifications or the delivery mechanism, i.e. face-to-face and/or at a distance. This definition excludes educational personnel who have no active teaching duties (e.g. headmasters, headmistresses or principals who do not teach) or who work occasionally or in a voluntary capacity in educational institutions.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


sourceNote: Primary education teachers includes full-time and part-time teachers.


Primary education, teachers (% female)

Developmentrelevance: The share of female teachers shows the level of gender representation in the teaching force. A value of greater than 50% indicates more opportunities or preference for women to participate in teaching activities. Women teachers are important as they serve as role models to girls and help to attract and retain girls in school.

IndicatorName: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Longdefinition: Female teachers as a percentage of total primary education teachers includes full-time and part-time teachers.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The share of female teachers in primary education is calculated by dividing the total number of female teachers at primary level of education by the total number of teachers at the same level, and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


sourceNote: Female teachers as a percentage of total primary education teachers includes full-time and part-time teachers.


Developmentrelevance: Relevance to gender indicator: Women teachers are important as they serve as role models to girls and help to attract and retain girls in school.

IndicatorName: Adjusted net enrollment rate, primary (% of primary school age children)

Longdefinition: Adjusted net enrollment is the number of pupils of the school-age group for primary education, enrolled either in primary or secondary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population in that age group.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Adjusted net enrollment rate in primary education is calculated by dividing the number of children in the official primary school age who are enrolled in primary or secondary education by the population of the same age group and multiplying by 100.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Adjusted net enrollment rate, primary (% of primary school age children)

sourceNote: Adjusted net enrollment is the number of pupils of the school-age group for primary education, enrolled either in primary or secondary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population in that age group.


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Adjusted net enrollment rate, primary, female (% of primary school age children)


name: Adjusted net enrollment rate, primary, female (% of primary school age children)


Developmentrelevance: Gross enrollment ratios indicate the capacity of each level of the education system, but a high ratio may reflect a substantial number of overage children enrolled in each grade because of repetition or late entry rather than a successful education system. The net enrollment rate excludes overage and underage students and more accurately captures the system's coverage and internal efficiency. Differences between the gross enrollment ratio and the net enrollment rate show the incidence of overage and underage enrollments. The adjusted net enrollment rate in primary education captures primary school-age children who have progressed to secondary education faster than their peers have and who are not counted in the traditional net enrollment rate.

IndicatorName: Adjusted net enrollment rate, primary, male (% of primary school age children)


name: Adjusted net enrollment rate, primary, male (% of primary school age children)


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


Children out of school, primary

Developmentrelevance: Large numbers of children out of school create pressure to enroll children and provide classrooms, teachers, and educational materials, a task made difficult in many countries by limited education budgets. However, getting children into school is a high priority for countries and crucial for achieving universal primary education.

IndicatorName: Children out of school, primary

Limitationsandexceptions: Due to different data sources for enrollment and population data, the number may not capture the actual number of children not attending in primary school.

Longdefinition: Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The number of out-of-school children is calculated by subtracting the number of primary school-age children enrolled in primary or secondary school from the total population of the official primary school-age children.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


sourceNote: Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.


Children out of school, primary, female

IndicatorName: Children out of school, primary, female


IndicatorName: Children out of school, female (% of female primary school age)

Limitationsandexceptions: The administrative data used in the calculation of the rate of out-of-school children are based on enrolment at a specific date which can bias the results by either counting enrolled children who never attend school or by omitting those who enroll after the reference date for reporting enrolment data. Furthermore, children who drop out of school after the reference date are not counted as out of school. Discrepancies between enrolment and population data from different sources can also result in over- or underestimates of the rate. Lastly, the international comparability of this indicator can be affected by the use of different concepts of enrolment and out-of-school children across countries.

Longdefinition: Children out of school are the percentage of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in primary or secondary school. Children in the official primary age group that are in preprimary education should be considered out of school.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The rate of out-of-school children allows to compare across countries with different population sizes. It shows the share of official primary-school-age children who never attended school or dropped out to the population of official primary school age.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses. The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Children out of school, female (% of female primary school age)

sourceNote: Children out of school are the percentage of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in primary or secondary school. Children in the official primary age group that are in preprimary education should be considered out of school.


Children out of school, primary, male

IndicatorName: Children out of school, primary, male


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Children out of school, male (% of male primary school age)


name: Children out of school, male (% of male primary school age)


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Children out of school (% of primary school age)


name: Children out of school (% of primary school age)


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Lower secondary school starting age (years)

Longdefinition: Lower secondary school starting age is the age at which students would enter lower secondary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Lower secondary school starting age (years)

sourceNote: Lower secondary school starting age is the age at which students would enter lower secondary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.


IndicatorName: Lower secondary completion rate, female (% of relevant age group)

Limitationsandexceptions:
Data limitations preclude adjusting for students who drop out during the final year of lower secondary education. Thus this rate is a proxy that should be taken as an upper estimate of the actual lower secondary completion rate.

There are many reasons why the rate can exceed 100 percent. The numerator may include late entrants and overage children who have repeated one or more grades of lower secondary education as well as children who entered school early, while the denominator is the number of children at the entrance age for the last grade of lower secondary education.

Longdefinition: Lower secondary education completion rate is measured as the gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary education (general and pre-vocational). It is calculated as the number of new entrants in the last grade of lower secondary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of lower secondary education.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Lower secondary completion rate is calculated as the number of new entrants (enrollment minus repeaters) in the last grade of lower secondary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of lower secondary education.

Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Population data are drawn from the United Nations Population Division. Using a single source for population data standardizes definitions, estimations, and interpolation methods, ensuring a consistent methodology across countries and minimizing potential enumeration problems in national censuses.

The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).


name: Lower secondary completion rate, female (% of relevant age group)

sourceNote: Lower secondary education completion rate is measured as the gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary education (general and pre-vocational). It is calculated as the number of new entrants in the last grade of lower secondary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of lower secondary education.


name: Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Lower secondary completion rate, male (% of relevant age group)


name: Lower secondary completion rate, male (% of relevant age group)


name: East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Lower secondary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)


name: Lower secondary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)


name: Fragile and conflict affected situations


name: Middle East & North Africa (excluding high income)


IndicatorName: Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, female (%) (cumulative)

Longdefinition: The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed lower secondary education.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
It is calculated by dividing the number of population ages 25 and older who attained or completed lower secondary education by the total population of the same age group and multiplying by 100. The number 0 means zero or small enough that the number would round to zero.

Data are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics mainly from national population census, household survey, and labour force survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011.


name: Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, female (%) (cumulative)

sourceNote: The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed lower secondary education.


name: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)


name: Least developed countries: UN classification


name: Middle East & North Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)


name: East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)


name: Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)


IndicatorName: Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, male (%) (cumulative)


name: Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, male (%) (cumulative)


IndicatorName: Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)


name: Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)