Over-Age Students in Primary School by Country 2026

Over-age for grade in primary education measures the percentage of students enrolled in primary school who are at least 2 years older than the official age for their current grade. This indicator reveals important information about educational efficiency, student progression, and the quality of education systems. High over-age rates indicate that many students have experienced grade repetition or late school entry, which can affect learning outcomes and student motivation.

Understanding Over-Age for Grade

Over-age for grade occurs when students are significantly older than the expected age for their grade level. This typically results from grade repetition, late school entry, or interrupted schooling. An over-age rate of 10% means that 10% of primary school students are at least 2 years older than the official age for their grade. This metric is important because it reflects both individual student challenges and systemic educational issues.

Grade repetition is the primary cause of over-age status. Students may repeat grades due to poor academic performance, inadequate learning support, or insufficient teaching quality. Late school entry, often caused by poverty or lack of awareness about school enrollment, also contributes to over-age status. In some regions, interrupted schooling due to conflict, displacement, or family circumstances causes students to fall behind their age cohort.

Over-Age Students in Primary School by Country 2026

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#	Country	Over-Age Rate 2026 Estimate (%) (%)
1	Guinea-Bissau GW	49.1%
2	Central African Republic CF	42.9%
3	Liberia LR	42.9%
4	Mali ML	39.9%
5	Burundi BI	39.2%
6	Chad TD	38.9%
7	Malawi MW	37.5%
8	Guinea GN	36.9%
9	DR Congo CD	36.5%
10	South Sudan SS	35.9%
11	Ethiopia ET	35.2%
12	Mauritania MR	35.2%
13	Madagascar MG	33.1%
14	Burkina Faso BF	32.8%
15	Sierra Leone SL	32.8%
16	Eritrea ER	31.9%
17	Mozambique MZ	31.9%
18	Benin BJ	29.5%
19	Haiti HT	29.5%
20	Somalia SO	29%
21	Niger NE	28.9%
22	Equatorial Guinea GQ	26.9%
23	Senegal SN	26.9%
24	Cameroon CM	24.8%
25	Uganda UG	24.8%
26	Rwanda RW	24.6%
27	Yemen YE	24.6%
28	Congo CG	22.9%
29	Sudan SD	22.8%
30	Laos LA	22.6%
31	Gambia GM	21.8%
32	Papua New Guinea PG	21.8%
33	Zambia ZM	21.7%
34	Ghana GH	20.3%
35	Gabon GA	19.3%
36	Nepal NP	19.3%
37	Tanzania TZ	19.3%
38	Afghanistan AF	19.2%
39	Comoros KM	19.1%
40	Iraq IQ	18.9%
41	Nigeria NG	17.6%
42	Ivory Coast CI	17.2%
43	Pakistan PK	17.2%
44	Togo TG	17.2%
45	Myanmar MM	16.7%
46	Cambodia KH	15.6%
47	Zimbabwe ZW	15.2%
48	Kenya KE	14.7%
49	Djibouti DJ	14.6%
50	Sao Tome and Principe ST	14.6%
51	Namibia NA	13.8%
52	Bangladesh BD	12.8%
53	Eswatini SZ	12.7%
54	Timor-Leste TL	12.6%
55	Morocco MA	12.4%
56	Guatemala GT	11.5%
57	Lesotho LS	11.5%
58	Egypt EG	9.05%
59	Solomon Islands SB	9.05%
60	Western Sahara EH	9.05%
61	Honduras HN	8.85%
62	Bhutan BT	8.35%
63	Syria SY	8.35%
64	India IN	7.95%
65	Nicaragua NI	7.95%
66	Vanuatu VU	6.88%
67	Bolivia BO	6.75%
68	Paraguay PY	6.28%
69	Tunisia TN	6.28%
70	Philippines PH	5.88%
71	Brazil BR	5.85%
72	El Salvador SV	5.68%
73	Kiribati KI	5.28%
74	Venezuela VE	4.58%
75	Cape Verde CV	4.48%
76	Dominican Republic DO	4.38%
77	Libya LY	4.18%
78	Nauru NR	4.18%
79	Peru PE	4.08%
80	Belize BZ	3.38%
81	Lebanon LB	3.38%
82	Suriname SR	3.38%
83	Colombia CO	3.18%
84	Panama PA	3.18%
85	Algeria DZ	3.15%
86	Mexico MX	2.78%
87	Argentina AR	2.75%
88	Botswana BW	2.28%
89	Indonesia ID	2.28%
90	Marshall Islands MH	2.28%
91	China CN	2.08%
92	Fiji FJ	2.08%
93	Iran IR	2.08%
94	South Africa ZA	2.08%
95	Antigua and Barbuda AG	2.05%
96	Azerbaijan AZ	2.05%
97	Chile CL	1.88%
98	Dominica DM	1.78%
99	Jordan JO	1.78%
100	Micronesia FM	1.78%
101	Samoa WS	1.78%
102	Sri Lanka LK	1.78%
103	Türkiye TR	1.78%
104	Albania AL	1.75%
105	Bahamas BS	1.48%
106	Grenada GD	1.48%
107	Kosovo XK	1.48%
108	Palestine PS	1.48%
109	Trinidad and Tobago TT	1.48%
110	Barbados BB	1.18%
111	Ecuador EC	1.18%
112	Jamaica JM	1.18%
113	Oman OM	1.18%
114	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines VC	1.18%
115	Tajikistan TJ	1.18%
116	Tonga TO	1.18%
117	Vietnam VN	1.18%
118	Costa Rica CR	1.09%
119	Palau PW	1.09%
120	Thailand TH	1.09%
121	Tuvalu TV	1.09%
122	Armenia AM	0.88%
123	Saint Lucia LC	0.88%
124	Saudi Arabia SA	0.88%
125	Bulgaria BG	0.79%
126	Guyana GY	0.79%
127	Kyrgyzstan KG	0.79%
128	Saint Kitts and Nevis KN	0.79%
129	Uruguay UY	0.79%
130	Bahrain BH	0.78%
131	Bosnia and Herzegovina BA	0.69%
132	Belgium BE	0.59%
133	Kuwait KW	0.59%
134	Belarus BY	0.49%
135	Cyprus CY	0.49%
136	Moldova MD	0.49%
137	North Korea KP	0.49%
138	Tokelau TK	0.49%
139	Australia AU	0.39%
140	Croatia HR	0.39%
141	France FR	0.39%
142	Kazakhstan KZ	0.39%
143	Martinique MQ	0.39%
144	North Macedonia MK	0.39%
145	Puerto Rico PR	0.39%
146	Romania RO	0.39%
147	Turkmenistan TM	0.39%
148	United Arab Emirates AE	0.39%
149	US Virgin Islands VI	0.39%
150	Austria AT	0.29%
151	Cuba CU	0.29%
152	Denmark DK	0.29%
153	Georgia GE	0.29%
154	Greece GR	0.29%
155	Italy IT	0.29%
156	Malaysia MY	0.29%
157	Mauritius MU	0.29%
158	Mongolia MN	0.29%
159	Montenegro ME	0.29%
160	Portugal PT	0.29%
161	Qatar QA	0.29%
162	Réunion RE	0.29%
163	Russia RU	0.29%
164	Saint Martin MF	0.29%
165	Sint Maarten SX	0.29%
166	Spain ES	0.29%
167	Turks and Caicos Islands TC	0.29%
168	United States US	0.29%
169	Uzbekistan UZ	0.29%
170	Wallis and Futuna WF	0.29%
171	Brunei BN	0.19%
172	Canada CA	0.19%
173	Czech Republic CZ	0.19%
174	Germany DE	0.19%
175	Gibraltar GI	0.19%
176	Hungary HU	0.19%
177	Israel IL	0.19%
178	Latvia LV	0.19%
179	Luxembourg LU	0.19%
180	Maldives MV	0.19%
181	Malta MT	0.19%
182	Netherlands NL	0.19%
183	New Zealand NZ	0.19%
184	Poland PL	0.19%
185	Serbia RS	0.19%
186	Seychelles SC	0.19%
187	Slovakia SK	0.19%
188	Switzerland CH	0.19%
189	Taiwan TW	0.19%
190	Ukraine UA	0.19%
191	United Kingdom GB	0.19%
192	Estonia EE	0.09%
193	Finland FI	0.09%
194	Hong Kong HK	0.09%
195	Iceland IS	0.09%
196	Ireland IE	0.09%
197	Japan JP	0.09%
198	Jersey JE	0.09%
199	Liechtenstein LI	0.09%
200	Lithuania LT	0.09%
201	Macau MO	0.09%
202	Monaco MC	0.09%
203	Norway NO	0.09%
204	San Marino SM	0.09%
205	Singapore SG	0.09%
206	Slovenia SI	0.09%
207	South Korea KR	0.09%
208	Sweden SE	0.09%
209	Vatican City VA	0.09%

Global Patterns in Primary Over-Age Rates

Over-age rates vary dramatically across regions and countries. Developed nations typically show rates below 5%, indicating efficient grade progression and minimal repetition. Many developing countries show rates between 10-30%, reflecting challenges in educational quality and student support. The highest-performing countries have invested in early intervention programs and teacher training to reduce grade repetition.

Sub-Saharan Africa shows the highest primary over-age rates globally, with many countries exceeding 30%. This reflects challenges including limited educational resources, large class sizes, and insufficient teacher training. South Asia also shows elevated rates, particularly in countries with high poverty levels. Latin America shows moderate rates, while East Asia and developed regions show the lowest rates.

Consequences of Over-Age Status

Over-age students face multiple challenges that affect their educational outcomes and future prospects. They are more likely to drop out of school, particularly as they approach adolescence. Over-age students often experience lower self-esteem and reduced motivation, as they feel disconnected from their younger classmates. The age gap can also create social and behavioral challenges in the classroom.

For education systems, high over-age rates indicate inefficiency and wasted resources. Students spending extra years in primary school reduces capacity for new students and increases per-pupil costs. High repetition rates also suggest inadequate teaching quality or insufficient support for struggling learners. Addressing over-age status requires improving teaching quality, providing remedial support, and reducing unnecessary grade repetition.

2026 Projections and Methodology

Projections for 2026 show varied trends across countries. Some nations are successfully reducing over-age rates through improved teaching quality and student support programs. Others show stable or increasing rates, indicating persistent challenges in educational systems.

The 2026 estimates are calculated using linear regression analysis based on historical trends from available data years. This statistical method identifies the rate of change over recent years and projects that trend forward to 2026. The methodology examines each country's historical over-age rate trajectory and applies the observed trend to estimate 2026 values. All projections are constrained to the 0-100% range to ensure realistic estimates. This approach assumes that current trends will continue, which may not hold if significant policy changes or educational reforms occur.

Over-Age Students in Primary School by Country 2026

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#	Country	Over-Age Rate 2023 (%) (%)	Over-Age Rate 2026 Estimate (%) (%)
1	Guinea-Bissau	48.3%	49.1%
2	Central African Republic	42.1%	42.9%
3	Liberia	42.1%	42.9%
4	Mali	39.2%	39.9%
5	Burundi	38.5%	39.2%
6	Chad	38.2%	38.9%
7	Malawi	36.8%	37.5%
8	Guinea	36.2%	36.9%
9	DR Congo	35.8%	36.5%
10	South Sudan	35.2%	35.9%
11	Ethiopia	34.5%	35.2%
12	Mauritania	34.5%	35.2%
13	Madagascar	32.4%	33.1%
14	Burkina Faso	32.1%	32.8%
15	Sierra Leone	32.1%	32.8%
16	Eritrea	31.2%	31.9%
17	Mozambique	31.2%	31.9%
18	Benin	28.9%	29.5%
19	Haiti	28.9%	29.5%
20	Somalia	28.4%	29%
21	Niger	28.3%	28.9%
22	Equatorial Guinea	26.3%	26.9%
23	Senegal	26.3%	26.9%
24	Cameroon	24.3%	24.8%
25	Uganda	24.3%	24.8%
26	Rwanda	24.1%	24.6%
27	Yemen	24.1%	24.6%
28	Congo	22.4%	22.9%
29	Sudan	22.3%	22.8%
30	Laos	22.1%	22.6%
31	Gambia	21.3%	21.8%
32	Papua New Guinea	21.3%	21.8%
33	Zambia	21.2%	21.7%
34	Ghana	19.8%	20.3%
35	Gabon	18.9%	19.3%
36	Nepal	18.9%	19.3%
37	Tanzania	18.9%	19.3%
38	Afghanistan	18.5%	19.2%
39	Comoros	18.7%	19.1%
40	Iraq	18.4%	18.9%
41	Nigeria	17.2%	17.6%
42	Ivory Coast	16.8%	17.2%
43	Pakistan	16.8%	17.2%
44	Togo	16.8%	17.2%
45	Myanmar	16.3%	16.7%
46	Cambodia	15.2%	15.6%
47	Zimbabwe	14.8%	15.2%
48	Kenya	14.3%	14.7%
49	Djibouti	14.2%	14.6%
50	Sao Tome and Principe	14.2%	14.6%
51	Namibia	13.4%	13.8%
52	Bangladesh	12.3%	12.8%
53	Eswatini	12.4%	12.7%
54	Timor-Leste	12.3%	12.6%
55	Morocco	12.1%	12.4%
56	Guatemala	11.2%	11.5%
57	Lesotho	11.2%	11.5%
58	Egypt	8.9%	9.05%
59	Solomon Islands	8.9%	9.05%
60	Western Sahara	8.9%	9.05%
61	Honduras	8.7%	8.85%
62	Bhutan	8.2%	8.35%
63	Syria	8.2%	8.35%
64	India	7.8%	7.95%
65	Nicaragua	7.8%	7.95%
66	Vanuatu	6.8%	6.88%
67	Bolivia	6.7%	6.75%
68	Paraguay	6.2%	6.28%
69	Tunisia	6.2%	6.28%
70	Philippines	5.8%	5.88%
71	Brazil	5.8%	5.85%
72	El Salvador	5.6%	5.68%
73	Kiribati	5.2%	5.28%
74	Venezuela	4.5%	4.58%
75	Cape Verde	4.5%	4.48%
76	Dominican Republic	4.3%	4.38%
77	Libya	4.2%	4.18%
78	Nauru	4.1%	4.18%
79	Peru	4.1%	4.08%
80	Belize	3.4%	3.38%
81	Lebanon	3.4%	3.38%
82	Suriname	3.4%	3.38%
83	Colombia	3.2%	3.18%
84	Panama	3.2%	3.18%
85	Algeria	3.2%	3.15%
86	Mexico	2.8%	2.78%
87	Argentina	2.8%	2.75%
88	Botswana	2.3%	2.28%
89	Indonesia	2.3%	2.28%
90	Marshall Islands	2.3%	2.28%
91	China	2.1%	2.08%
92	Fiji	2.1%	2.08%
93	Iran	2.1%	2.08%
94	South Africa	2.1%	2.08%
95	Antigua and Barbuda	2.1%	2.05%
96	Azerbaijan	2.1%	2.05%
97	Chile	1.9%	1.88%
98	Dominica	1.8%	1.78%
99	Jordan	1.8%	1.78%
100	Micronesia	1.8%	1.78%
101	Samoa	1.8%	1.78%
102	Sri Lanka	1.8%	1.78%
103	Türkiye	1.8%	1.78%
104	Albania	1.8%	1.75%
105	Bahamas	1.5%	1.48%
106	Grenada	1.5%	1.48%
107	Kosovo	1.5%	1.48%
108	Palestine	1.5%	1.48%
109	Trinidad and Tobago	1.5%	1.48%
110	Barbados	1.2%	1.18%
111	Ecuador	1.2%	1.18%
112	Jamaica	1.2%	1.18%
113	Oman	1.2%	1.18%
114	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1.2%	1.18%
115	Tajikistan	1.2%	1.18%
116	Tonga	1.2%	1.18%
117	Vietnam	1.2%	1.18%
118	Costa Rica	1.1%	1.09%
119	Palau	1.1%	1.09%
120	Thailand	1.1%	1.09%
121	Tuvalu	1.1%	1.09%
122	Armenia	0.9%	0.88%
123	Saint Lucia	0.9%	0.88%
124	Saudi Arabia	0.9%	0.88%
125	Bulgaria	0.8%	0.79%
126	Guyana	0.8%	0.79%
127	Kyrgyzstan	0.8%	0.79%
128	Saint Kitts and Nevis	0.8%	0.79%
129	Uruguay	0.8%	0.79%
130	Bahrain	0.8%	0.78%
131	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.7%	0.69%
132	Belgium	0.6%	0.59%
133	Kuwait	0.6%	0.59%
134	Belarus	0.5%	0.49%
135	Cyprus	0.5%	0.49%
136	Moldova	0.5%	0.49%
137	North Korea	0.5%	0.49%
138	Tokelau	0.5%	0.49%
139	Australia	0.4%	0.39%
140	Croatia	0.4%	0.39%
141	France	0.4%	0.39%
142	Kazakhstan	0.4%	0.39%
143	Martinique	0.4%	0.39%
144	North Macedonia	0.4%	0.39%
145	Puerto Rico	0.4%	0.39%
146	Romania	0.4%	0.39%
147	Turkmenistan	0.4%	0.39%
148	United Arab Emirates	0.4%	0.39%
149	US Virgin Islands	0.4%	0.39%
150	Austria	0.3%	0.29%
151	Cuba	0.3%	0.29%
152	Denmark	0.3%	0.29%
153	Georgia	0.3%	0.29%
154	Greece	0.3%	0.29%
155	Italy	0.3%	0.29%
156	Malaysia	0.3%	0.29%
157	Mauritius	0.3%	0.29%
158	Mongolia	0.3%	0.29%
159	Montenegro	0.3%	0.29%
160	Portugal	0.3%	0.29%
161	Qatar	0.3%	0.29%
162	Réunion	0.3%	0.29%
163	Russia	0.3%	0.29%
164	Saint Martin	0.3%	0.29%
165	Sint Maarten	0.3%	0.29%
166	Spain	0.3%	0.29%
167	Turks and Caicos Islands	0.3%	0.29%
168	United States	0.3%	0.29%
169	Uzbekistan	0.3%	0.29%
170	Wallis and Futuna	0.3%	0.29%
171	Brunei	0.2%	0.19%
172	Canada	0.2%	0.19%
173	Czech Republic	0.2%	0.19%
174	Germany	0.2%	0.19%
175	Gibraltar	0.2%	0.19%
176	Hungary	0.2%	0.19%
177	Israel	0.2%	0.19%
178	Latvia	0.2%	0.19%
179	Luxembourg	0.2%	0.19%
180	Maldives	0.2%	0.19%
181	Malta	0.2%	0.19%
182	Netherlands	0.2%	0.19%
183	New Zealand	0.2%	0.19%
184	Poland	0.2%	0.19%
185	Serbia	0.2%	0.19%
186	Seychelles	0.2%	0.19%
187	Slovakia	0.2%	0.19%
188	Switzerland	0.2%	0.19%
189	Taiwan	0.2%	0.19%
190	Ukraine	0.2%	0.19%
191	United Kingdom	0.2%	0.19%
192	Estonia	0.1%	0.09%
193	Finland	0.1%	0.09%
194	Hong Kong	0.1%	0.09%
195	Iceland	0.1%	0.09%
196	Ireland	0.1%	0.09%
197	Japan	0.1%	0.09%
198	Jersey	0.1%	0.09%
199	Liechtenstein	0.1%	0.09%
200	Lithuania	0.1%	0.09%
201	Macau	0.1%	0.09%
202	Monaco	0.1%	0.09%
203	Norway	0.1%	0.09%
204	San Marino	0.1%	0.09%
205	Singapore	0.1%	0.09%
206	Slovenia	0.1%	0.09%
207	South Korea	0.1%	0.09%
208	Sweden	0.1%	0.09%
209	Vatican City	0.1%	0.09%

Methodology and Data Sources

This analysis uses UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) administrative data on over-age for grade in primary education. Administrative data comes from official school records and government education statistics, providing comprehensive coverage across countries.

Over-age for grade is calculated as: (Number of primary students at least 2 years over-age / Total primary enrollment) × 100

The data reflects the most recent available years from administrative records, with 2026 projections calculated using linear regression analysis based on historical trends. Using administrative data ensures consistency in measurement across countries, though it is important to note that data quality and completeness vary by country. This approach allows for meaningful comparisons between countries with different education systems and administrative practices.