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

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.

Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Detailed documentation is available at: https://api.uis.unesco.org/api/public/documentation/, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), type: Bulk file (csv), date accessed: 2026-03-19, date published: 2026-02

Education: Outcomes

% of relevant age group

Annual

Weighted average

Methodology: 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). Statistical concept(s): The indicator represents the influence of policies regarding entry and progress through the initial stages of primary or lower secondary education on the completion of the terminal grade at the respective level. The presumption is that students who enroll in the final grade for the first time will successfully finish that grade, thereby completing the designated level of education.

Primary education lays the groundwork for acquiring essential literacy and numeracy skills, setting the stage for a robust learning journey and fostering overall personal and social growth. SDG target 4.1 aims to ensure that all children complete free, equitable, and quality primary education. This indicator holds significant relevance for policy-makers dedicated to enhancing children's educational access and engagement. It gauges the capacity of the education system to support a group of students from their expected entry age to the completion of all grades of primary education.

The data do not account for students who drop out during the final year of primary education. Therefore, this rate serves as a proxy and should be considered 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.

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