UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) indicator `CR.MOD.1.M` reports the modelled primary education completion rate for males. Completion rate is the percentage of boys and young men who are three to five years above the intended age for the last grade of primary education and who have completed that grade. It is therefore a completion measure, not current primary enrolment, school entry, or a gross enrolment ratio. The unit is percent and the series is male-specific.
The 2025 dataset contains 165 official country and territory estimates. The maximum is 100.00%, with two observations at that boundary. Japan records 99.99997%, Qatar 99.99863%, the United States of America 99.98998%, Israel 99.98048%, and Austria 99.96554%. At the lower end, South Sudan is at 8.81%, Liberia at 24.24%, Uganda at 24.58%, Guinea-Bissau at 27.45%, and the Central African Republic at 31.85%. The median is 97.42% and the mean 86.33%.
Table of Contents
What male primary completion rate measures
The indicator focuses on whether boys have actually completed primary education. UIS uses an age group three to five years above the intended age for the last grade to allow for late entry, repetition, and delayed progression. The result is the share of that reference group that has finished the level.
A value of 90% means roughly nine in ten males in the reference age group are estimated to have completed primary education. It does not mean that 90% of current primary-school-age boys are enrolled, and it does not reveal how many entered school at the expected age.
This series is male-specific
The `.M` suffix identifies the male series. A country can have a different completion rate for females or for both sexes combined. The male estimate should therefore not be treated as a complete description of national primary completion.
A gender-gap analysis requires the female and male series side by side or a parity measure. This article instead focuses on the geographic distribution of male completion rates themselves and does not infer the direction or cause of gender gaps from one sex-specific series.
Why the modelled label matters
The `CR.MOD.1.M` series is modelled. UIS combines evidence from household surveys, censuses, administrative sources, and related statistical inputs to produce a more complete and consistent time series across countries and years. A 2025 value is therefore not necessarily the direct result of a single survey carried out in calendar year 2025.
Modelled estimates are useful for global comparison, but very small decimal differences should not be overinterpreted. The substantive difference between 99.99% and 99.95% is far less important than the large gaps between countries near universal completion and those below 50%.
The upper end is packed near 100 percent
The top ten estimates are all above 99.92%. Two observations reach 100.00%, followed by Japan at 99.99997%, Qatar at 99.99863%, the United States of America at 99.98998%, Israel at 99.98048%, Austria at 99.96554%, Sweden at 99.94974%, Mauritius at 99.93354%, and Denmark at 99.92487%.
There are 55 observations at or above 99%, 91 at or above 95%, and 101 at or above 90%. With 101 of 165 observations at 90% or higher, a large share of the dataset is close to universal male primary completion. Completion, however, should not be confused with learning achievement.
| Country or territory | 2025 male primary completion rate |
|---|---|
| Germany | 100.00% |
| Republic of Korea | 100.00% |
| Japan | 100.00% |
| Qatar | 100.00% |
| United States of America | 99.99% |
| Israel | 99.98% |
| Austria | 99.97% |
| Sweden | 99.95% |
| Mauritius | 99.93% |
| Denmark | 99.92% |
The lower tail falls below 25 percent
South Sudan records 8.81%, the lowest estimate. Liberia is at 24.24% and Uganda at 24.58%, followed by Guinea-Bissau at 27.45%, the Central African Republic at 31.85%, Somalia at 32.88%, Chad at 38.21%, and Haiti at 38.63%.
Three observations are below 25%, and 11 are below 50%. These values indicate that fewer than half of males in the reference age group are estimated to have completed primary education in a notable group of countries. The series itself does not establish why; access, poverty, conflict, child labour, migration, school quality, and other factors need separate evidence.
| Country or territory | 2025 male primary completion rate |
|---|---|
| South Sudan | 8.81% |
| Liberia | 24.24% |
| Uganda | 24.58% |
| Guinea-Bissau | 27.45% |
| Central African Republic | 31.85% |
| Somalia | 32.88% |
| Chad | 38.21% |
| Haiti | 38.63% |
| Malawi | 47.97% |
| Madagascar | 48.50% |
The median is far above the mean
The median is 97.42%, while the simple mean is 86.33%. The first quartile is 77.37% and the third quartile 99.46%. The mean is more than eleven percentage points below the median because a long lower tail of low completion estimates pulls the average downward.
The middle half of observations lies between roughly 77.37% and 99.46%. The upper side is compressed by the natural 100% ceiling, while the lower side extends below 10%. That asymmetry makes the median and distribution bands more informative than the mean alone.
Five broad bands reveal the global gap
There are 3 observations below 25%, 8 between 25% and under 50%, 26 between 50% and under 75%, 27 between 75% and under 90%, and 101 at 90% or higher.
The distribution therefore contains both systems that are essentially at universal male primary completion and systems where a large majority of the reference group has not completed primary education. The policy challenge is very different at the two ends of the distribution.
Completion rate is not gross enrolment
Gross enrolment compares all students enrolled in primary education with the official primary-school-age population and can exceed 100% because students outside the official age range are included. Completion rate asks whether a defined age group has actually finished primary education and is naturally bounded at 100%.
A country can have a high gross enrolment ratio but a lower completion rate if students enter late, repeat grades, or leave school before the final grade. The two indicators describe different stages of participation and progression.
Completion is also different from entry or transition
School entry measures whether children begin primary education. Completion asks whether they eventually finish it. High entry can coexist with lower completion if dropout is substantial before the last grade.
This distinction is important for policy because expanding access at the beginning of primary school is not enough. Students also need to remain in the system and progress to the final grade.
High completion does not guarantee high learning
A male completion rate near 100% indicates that almost all of the reference age group finishes primary education, but it does not show what students know in reading, mathematics, or other subjects. Learning outcomes and completion are separate dimensions.
To evaluate education quality, completion data should be combined with proficiency measures or learning assessments. Completion describes progression through the school system; assessment data describe the skills and knowledge students have acquired.
Why 100 percent is the natural ceiling
Completion rate is a proportion of a defined reference group, so 100% is the natural upper boundary. Unlike gross enrolment, it cannot validly rise to 110% simply because older or younger students are enrolled.
A modelled estimate displayed as 100.00% should still be interpreted as effectively universal completion rather than proof that every single individual completed primary education without exception. Modelled values synthesize multiple sources and carry statistical uncertainty.
What a single year cannot establish
The 2025 cross-section does not show whether a country is improving rapidly, stagnating, or reversing. Two countries with the same completion level can have very different trajectories over the previous decade.
Trend analysis should use the same `CR.MOD.1.M` series across multiple years and examine both the level and the percentage-point change. This is especially useful when comparing countries starting from low completion with countries already close to 100%.
Official source and interpretation
The official source is the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. This comparison uses 165 NATIONAL observations for 2025 from indicator `CR.MOD.1.M`, reported in percent. The measure is the modelled percentage of males aged three to five years above the intended age for the final grade of primary education who have completed that grade. Official values are available through the UNESCO UIS Data API.
The key reading rules are straightforward: this is completion rather than enrolment, it applies only to males, and the numbers are modelled estimates rather than a single survey table. Within those limits, the series provides a consistent view of how close countries are to universal male primary completion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does male primary completion rate measure?
It measures the share of males aged three to five years above the intended age for the last primary grade who have completed primary education.
Is this a both-sexes completion rate?
No. The M suffix identifies the male-only modelled series.
Is completion rate the same as gross enrolment?
No. Gross enrolment measures enrolment relative to the official school-age population, while completion measures whether a defined age group finished the level.
Does high completion automatically mean high learning achievement?
No. Completion and learning outcomes are separate and require different indicators.
Related Articles
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data. These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
