British Virgin Islands: Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, British Virgin Islands' primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) fell 34.42 percentage points on 2023 (from 80.84% to 46.42%).

Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2023), the average change was −2.25 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 9.74 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 14.5 percentage points in 2010 and the biggest yearly fall was 34.42 percentage points in 2024. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 3.59 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 47% of the movement over 8 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, British Virgin Islands had the 95th highest value of the 95 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to British Virgin Islands in the 2024 ranking

• Syrian Arab Republic — 91st of 95: 60.13%
• Ethiopia — 92nd of 95: 54.44%
• Burkina Faso — 93rd of 95: 51.99%
• Niger — 95th of 95: 40.76%

What this measures

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.

Limitations: 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.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 23 values

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

• Antigua and Barbuda — 123.36% (2022)
• Argentina — 98.94% (2023)
• Aruba — 93.83% (2022)
• Bahamas, The — 87.86% (2019)
• Barbados — 85.28% (2024)
• Belize — 94.22% (2024)
• Bolivia — 90.96% (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 106.46% (2024)
• Chile — 99.14% (2024)

More education data for British Virgin Islands

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 1,626 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 72.78% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 73.55% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 72.03% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 2,300 (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is British Virgin Islands's primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group)?

46.42% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1985?

It is down 44.31 percentage points from 90.73% in 1985. The highest value was 118.62% in 1994 and the lowest 46.42% in 2024.

How does British Virgin Islands rank?

95th highest of 95 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) unusual for British Virgin Islands?

In 2024, British Virgin Islands' primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) fell 34.42 percentage points on 2023 (from 80.84% to 46.42%). Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2023), the average change was −2.25 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 9.74 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.CMPT.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: 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. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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