Student absenteeism remains high in Wales and the United States

New data indicates rising levels of chronic absenteeism in both Wales and the United States, with rates remaining significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.

In Wales, Welsh Government figures show that 26.4% of pupils in maintained schools were persistently absent during the 2025/26 academic year, missing at least 10% of their possible sessions. Experts suggest this may be linked to Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), where children avoid school due to emotional distress, anxiety, or sensory sensitivities rather than deliberate truancy.

In the United States, research from the American Enterprise Institute found that 22.6% of students were chronically absent in 2025. While this is a decrease from the 28.3% peak during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, the trend remains a concern for educators. The U.S. Department of Education noted that missing school impacts academic success and long-term literacy. The absenteeism is notably higher in historically disadvantaged districts and specific states such as Alaska, Washington, D.C., Oregon, and New Mexico.