IB Results 2024: How Many Students Score 40 + Points—and How Many Fall Short?
Fresh statistics from the May 2024 IB Final Bulletin show that roughly 1 in 11 candidates cracked the 40‑point barrier, while about 15 % missed the 24‑point diploma minimum. We unpack the trends since 2020 and reveal the latest average grade for IB Economics.
IB Diploma Score Bands (2020‑24): Winners, Strugglers & Everything Between
The latest IB Diploma & Career‑related Programme Final Statistical Bulletin – May 2024 breaks every candidate into five score brackets. Below is the year‑on‑year picture—plus answers to the three most‑googled questions about IB results.
| Total‑Points Band | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 – 23 (fail) | 11.5 % | 8.4 % | 10.9 % | 16.1 % | 15.5 % |
| 24 – 29 | 26.6 % | 20.6 % | 23.1 % | 28.3 % | 28.8 % |
| 30 – 34 | 28.1 % | 26.9 % | 27.8 % | 26.9 % | 26.9 % |
| 35 – 39 | 22.9 % | 25.7 % | 23.5 % | 19.8 % | 19.5 % |
| 40 – 45 | 11.0 % | 18.4 % | 14.7 % | 8.9 % | 9.3 % |
(Percentages cover 96,726 second‑year DP candidates in 2024.)
1. How Many Students Scored 40 + Points in 2024?
- Approx. 9,000 students (9.3 %) landed in the 40‑to‑45 band.
- That’s up slightly from 2023 (8.9 %) but only half the pandemic‑inflated peak of 18.4 % in 2021.
Why the bump in 2021? Teacher‑estimated grades and generous grade‑boundaries during COVID temporarily swelled the top tier before normal exam conditions returned in 2023‑24.
2. How Many Students Failed the IB (Below 24 Points)?
- Roughly 15,000 candidates fell into the 0‑23 bracket in 2024, equating to 15.5 % of all test‑takers.
- Failure rates nearly doubled between 2021 (8.4 %) and 2023 (16.1 %), stabilising slightly in 2024.
💡 Reminder: Students can also fail with 24‑29 points if they miss core requirements (CAS, EE, TOK), so the official pass rate sits at 80.5 %.
3. What’s the Average IB Economics Grade in 2024?
| Level | Students | Mean Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Higher Level (HL) | 18,449 | 5.1 |
| Standard Level (SL) | 10,088 | 4.8 |
| Weighted Mean | 28,537 | ≈ 5.0 |
IB Economics remains comfortably above the diploma‑wide mean (4.9) but below grade‑rich subjects like Geography HL (5.3).
Trend Highlights (2020‑24)
- Pandemic Whiplash: 2021’s high of 18.4 % scoring 40 + pts mirrors the era of predicted grades; 2023 marked the “hard landing” back to exam norms.
- Middle Band Expansion: The 24‑29 bracket climbed to a five‑year high (28.8 %), suggesting the grade curve thickened in the middle.
- Mean Total Points Rebound: After dipping to 30.2 in 2023, the mean climbed to 32.0 in 2024—still shy of the 33.0 record in 2021 but healthier than the 2023 trough.
Quick Answers for Google
- “How many people get 40+ in IB 2024?” About 16 k students worldwide (9.3 %).
- “IB failure rate 2024?” Roughly 15.5 % score below 24 points; official pass rate is 80.5 %.
- “Average IB Economics grade 2024?” 5.0 overall (HL 5.1, SL 4.8).
Dive Deeper
Download the full PDF for subject‑by‑subject grade distributions, regional breakdowns, and extended essay stats:
IB Final Statistical Bulletin – May 2024.
All figures sourced from the International Baccalaureate’s official May 2024 Statistical Bulletin.
