IBonomicsIB Biology HL Statistics
Latest data: May 2026Provisional
In May 2026, 33,585 students took IB Biology HL, with a mean grade of 4.5. The grade 7 rate was 7.4% and the grade 6 or 7 rate was 24.6%.
Compared with May 2025, the mean grade was unchanged, and the grade 7 rate was up from 7.2%.
Higher Level (HL), May 2026
- Students
- 33,585
- May 2025: 33,102
- Mean grade
- 4.5
- May 2025: 4.5
- Grade 7 rate
- 7.4%
- May 2025: 7.2%
- Grade 6 or 7 rate
- 24.6%
- May 2025: 23.8%
Biology HL mean grade over time
The mean grade at HL in every session since November 2021. May and November are separate lines, because November is a much smaller session. The average IB Biology grade page sets HL beside SL.
| Year | May | November |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.5 | — |
| 2025 | 4.5 | 4.7 |
| 2024 | 4.4 | 4.7 |
| 2023 | 4.41 | 4.6 |
| 2022 | 4.73 | 4.86 |
| 2021 | — | 5.17 |
—: the data has no Biology HL results for that session.
May 2026 figures are provisional.
- The IB states that these results combine examination and non-examination assessment routes, which were used during the COVID-19 disruption. (May 2022)
Biology HL grade 7 rate over time
The share of Biology HL students awarded a 7 in every session since November 2021, May and November separately. For HL and SL together, see what percentage of students get a 7 in IB Biology.
| Year | May | November |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7.4% | — |
| 2025 | 7.2% | 13.7% |
| 2024 | 7.1% | 12.6% |
| 2023 | 6.3% | 11.7% |
| 2022 | 11.1% | 16.5% |
| 2021 | — | 19.3% |
—: the data has no Biology HL results for that session.
May 2026 figures are provisional.
- These bulletins print no N (no grade) column, so grades 1-7 are shares of the students who received a grade, and N is shown as —. (November 2021, May 2022, November 2022, May 2023)
- These bulletins include N (no grade) in the total, so grades 1-7 add up to less than 100% and are measured on a slightly different basis from sessions without an N column. (November 2023, May 2024, November 2024, May 2025, November 2025, May 2026)
- Grade cells the bulletin leaves blank are shown as 0.0%. (November 2021, May 2022, November 2022, May 2023, May 2024, May 2025)
- The IB states that these results combine examination and non-examination assessment routes, which were used during the COVID-19 disruption. (May 2022)
Biology HL student numbers over time
How many students took Biology at HL in each session since November 2021. The most popular IB subjects ranks subjects by number of students.
| Year | May | November |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33,585 | — |
| 2025 | 33,102 | 3,355 |
| 2024 | 32,155 | 3,451 |
| 2023 | 31,912 | 3,030 |
| 2022 | 31,569 | 2,731 |
| 2021 | — | 2,504 |
—: the data has no Biology HL results for that session.
May 2026 figures are provisional.
Biology HL grade distribution by session
The share of Biology HL students at each grade in every session since November 2021, newest first, with the mean grade and number of students. The chart compares May 2026 with May 2025. The IB Biology grade distribution page sets HL beside SL.
| Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | N | 6 or 7 | Mean grade | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026provisional | 0.9 | 5.1 | 19.5 | 24.9 | 23.2 | 17.2 | 7.4 | 1.7 | 24.6 | 4.5 | 33,585 |
| November 2025 | 1.0 | 6.1 | 17.9 | 20.5 | 20.1 | 18.4 | 13.7 | 2.5 | 32.1 | 4.7 | 3,355 |
| May 2025 | 1.0 | 6.7 | 18.0 | 24.8 | 23.9 | 16.6 | 7.2 | 1.8 | 23.8 | 4.5 | 33,102 |
| November 2024 | 0.6 | 5.9 | 18.3 | 22.6 | 17.8 | 19.8 | 12.6 | 2.5 | 32.4 | 4.7 | 3,451 |
| May 2024 | 0.7 | 7.2 | 17.0 | 29.5 | 19.9 | 16.7 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 23.8 | 4.4 | 32,155 |
| November 2023 | 0.4 | 7.7 | 17.8 | 23.1 | 18.9 | 17.9 | 11.7 | 2.6 | 29.6 | 4.6 | 3,030 |
| May 2023 | 1.1 | 7.1 | 17.8 | 27.2 | 24.0 | 16.5 | 6.3 | — | 22.8 | 4.41 | 31,912 |
| November 2022 | 0.3 | 5.5 | 13.1 | 25.2 | 17.6 | 21.8 | 16.5 | — | 38.3 | 4.86 | 2,731 |
| May 2022 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 12.6 | 28.8 | 24.1 | 18.9 | 11.1 | — | 30.0 | 4.73 | 31,569 |
| November 2021 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 11.8 | 20.9 | 15.6 | 30.0 | 19.3 | — | 49.3 | 5.17 | 2,504 |
Percentage of students at each grade, as published. The grade 6 or 7 rate is the two shares added.
- These bulletins print no N (no grade) column, so grades 1-7 are shares of the students who received a grade, and N is shown as —. (November 2021, May 2022, November 2022, May 2023)
- These bulletins include N (no grade) in the total, so grades 1-7 add up to less than 100% and are measured on a slightly different basis from sessions without an N column. (November 2023, May 2024, November 2024, May 2025, November 2025, May 2026)
- Grade cells the bulletin leaves blank are shown as 0.0%. (November 2021, May 2022, November 2022, May 2023, May 2024, May 2025)
- The IB states that these results combine examination and non-examination assessment routes, which were used during the COVID-19 disruption. (May 2022)
More Biology statistics
- IB Biology Exam StatisticsHL and SL side by side, with every session's results
- IB Biology SL Statistics22,064 students in May 2026, with a mean grade of 4.3
- IB Biology Grade DistributionGrades 1 to 7 at HL and SL in every session
- Average IB Biology GradeMean grades in every session, and how they changed
- IB Biology Grade 7 RateThe share of students awarded a 7 in every session
Compare with other subjects
- IB Subjects With the Highest Grade 7 RatesSubjects ranked by the share of students awarded a 7
- Average IB Grade by SubjectMean grades at HL and SL, ranked
- Most Popular IB SubjectsSubjects ranked by number of students
- IB May 2026 Exam StatisticsEvery subject's results in May 2026, with the Diploma pass rate
- IB Results Explorer: All Subjects and LanguagesEvery subject and language, with no minimum number of students
Source and methodology
These statistics are from the International Baccalaureate's statistical bulletins. The latest data shown is from the May 2026 assessment session.
Bulletins
- The IB Diploma Programme and Career-Related Programme Provisional Statistical Bulletin, May 2026
- The IB Diploma Programme Final Statistical Bulletin, November 2025
- The IB Diploma Programme and Career-Related Programme Final Statistical Bulletin, May 2025
- The IB Diploma Programme Final Statistical Bulletin, November 2024
- The IB Diploma Programme and Career-Related Programme Final Statistical Bulletin, May 2024
- The IB Diploma Programme Final Statistical Bulletin, November 2023
- The IB Diploma Programme and Career-Related Programme Final Statistical Bulletin, May 2023
- The IB Diploma Programme Final Statistical Bulletin, November 2022
- The IB Diploma Programme and Career-Related Programme Final Statistical Bulletin, May 2022
- The IB Diploma Programme Final Statistical Bulletin, November 2021
About this data
- May and November are separate assessment sessions. November is much smaller and mostly taken by schools in the southern hemisphere, so its figures aren't directly comparable with May's.
- The May 2026 figures are from the IB's provisional bulletin and may change when the final bulletin is published.
- Older bulletins call the people sitting the exams “candidates” and newer ones “students”. This site says “students” throughout.
- “<10” means the IB didn't publish the exact number because fewer than 10 students took the subject. These figures are never estimated or counted as zero.
- The grade 7 rate is the share of students the bulletin reports at grade 7. The grade 6 or 7 rate is calculated by IBonomics by adding the published shares for grades 6 and 7. Every other figure is as published.
- From November 2023 the bulletins include students who received no grade (N) in each subject's percentages, so grades 1 to 7 add up to slightly less than 100%. Earlier bulletins give percentages of graded students only.
- Bulletins up to May 2023 print figures to two decimal places and later ones to one. Each figure is shown as printed, and changes are compared at the lower precision.
IBonomics is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate.