Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In Saudi Arabia, 2.7% of students in lower secondary and 1.9% in upper secondary initial education repeated a grade in 2019, compared to 1.9% and 3% respectively on average across OECD countries. Boys are more likely to repeat a grade at lower secondary initial education than girls. However, in Saudi Arabia, 47% of repeaters at lower secondary level were boys, lower than the OECD average of 61%. At upper secondary level, the share of boys repeating a grade in Saudi Arabia increases to 56%, compared to 57% on average across OECD countries.