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

Key figures

Over five years it is up 0.28 percentage points from 5.53% in 2012. Since 1975 it is down 10.51 percentage points from 16.32% in 1975. The World Bank has no value for 25 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2017, United States' over-age students, primary (% of enrollment) rose 0.24 percentage points on 2016 (from 5.57% to 5.81%).

Across the 11 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2016), the average change was −0.09 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.3 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.48 percentage points in 1996 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.46 percentage points in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2010 to 2017 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 26% of the movement over 8 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2017, United States had the 23rd highest value of the 65 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 United States in the 2017 ranking

• Uruguay — 20th of 65: 6.63%
• Chile — 21st of 65: 6.56%
• Argentina — 22nd of 65: 6.44%
• Netherlands — 24th of 65: 5.36%
• Spain — 25th of 65: 5.25%
• British Virgin Islands — 26th of 65: 4.86%

What this measures

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

All 18 values

Over-age students, primary (% of enrollment) in nearby economies

• Canada — 0% (2017)

More education data for United States

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 79.36% (2022)
• School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.32 (2022)
• School enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) — 94.85% (2022)
• School enrollment, tertiary, male (% gross) — 64.54% (2022)
• Educational attainment, at least completed lower secondary, population 25+, total (%) (cumulative)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is United States's over-age students, primary (% of enrollment)?

5.81% in 2017, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1975?

It is down 10.51 percentage points from 16.32% in 1975. The highest value was 16.32% in 1975 and the lowest 4.98% in 1987.

How does United States rank?

23rd highest of 65 economies with data for 2017.

Is the latest change in over-age students, primary (% of enrollment) unusual for United States?

In 2017, United States' over-age students, primary (% of enrollment) rose 0.24 percentage points on 2016 (from 5.57% to 5.81%). Across the 11 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2016), the average change was −0.09 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.3 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.OENR.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://uis.unesco.org/bdds, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) 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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.