Secondary

Overview

Information on key aspects of a country’s education system, including governance, instructional language, and other structural features defined by national or regional regulations.

Ministry Responsible

Ministry of Education

Language of Instruction

Arabic

Duration

6 years (ages 12 to 18)

Grades 7 to 12

Levels

Lower secondary: Grades 7 to 9 (compulsory)

Upper secondary: Grades 10 to 12 (non-compulsory)

Qualifications, Curriculum, Grading

Not all awards or study patterns are included.

Institutions

Types and number of officially recognized institutions providing secondary education.

Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT)

Grading System

Examples of the most commonly used grading scales.

Enrollment

Total Enrollment

Total enrollment in a specific level of education, regardless of age.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Gross Enrollment Ratio

Total enrollment in a specific level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the eligible official school-age population corresponding to the same level of education in a given school year.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

International Benchmarks

PISA 2022 Mathematics

Saudi Arabia

388.8

Global Rank

61 of 81

International Average

472.4

Source: OECD

PISA 2022 Science

Saudi Arabia

390.4

Global Rank

64 of 81

International Average

484.6

Source: OECD

PISA 2022 Reading

Saudi Arabia

382.6

Global Rank

62 of 81

PIRLS Scale Centerpoint

475.6

Source: OECD

TIMSS 2023 Mathematics Grade 8

Saudi Arabia

397

Global Rank

38 of 44

International Average

478

Source: Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center

TIMSS 2023 Science Grade 8

Saudi Arabia

419

Global Rank

36 of 44

International Average

478

Source: Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center

Lower Secondary Mathematics: Percentage of Proficient Students

Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in mathematics.

Saudi Arabia

30.0% (2022)

Global Rank

69 of 103

High Income Countries Average

70.9% (2019)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Lower Secondary Reading: Percentage of Proficient Students

Proportion of students at the end of lower secondary education achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading.

Saudi Arabia

37.4% (2022)

Global Rank

69 of 94

High Income Countries Average

80.5% (2019)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics