NCLEX-RN pass rates by country of education, from the 2025 NCSBN report

First-time pass rates for the largest countries in 2025

These figures come from Table 9 of NCSBN's 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, published June 2026. They cover first-time, internationally educated candidates who took the NCLEX-RN for US licensure between January 1 and December 31, 2025: Philippines 22,793 candidates and 45.8% passing; India 4,866 and 33.3%; Kenya 4,096 and 58.2%; South Korea 2,485 and 58.4%; Nepal 2,407 and 52.4%; Ghana 2,236 and 54.7%; Nigeria 1,983 and 54.4%; Jamaica 506 and 50.2%; United Kingdom 240 and 46.7%.

The Philippines dominates the count. Its 22,793 first-time candidates were about 43% of all 52,827 internationally educated first-time takers that year. Its rate also climbed each quarter, from 43.2% in January to March to 47.3% in October to December, which is why a single quarter's figure can mislead if you quote it as the annual rate.

Which country has the highest NCLEX pass rate?

The literal answer is several tiny groups at 100%, and that is the trap. Austria shows 3 of 3 candidates passing and Antigua and Barbuda 8 of 9, but with numbers that small one result swings the rate by 10 points or more. A rate means little until a country has at least a hundred or so candidates.

Among countries with 100 or more first-time candidates in 2025, Canada was highest at 84.6% of 279, followed by Spain at 77.8% of 108, Iran at 70.6% of 357, Egypt at 68.8% of 173 and Israel at 68.5% of 184. Among the countries sending over 1,000 candidates, South Korea at 58.4% and Kenya at 58.2% led, and India at 33.3% was lowest.

Same exam, same standard, different results

The gap is not a separate test or a curve. NCSBN uses a criterion-referenced passing standard, applied the same way to every candidate, and there is no preset percentage that passes or fails. The NCLEX-RN standard of 0.00 logits was retained again in April 2026. NCSBN's report gives the numbers by country but does not give reasons for the differences, so treat any explanation you read elsewhere as opinion.

The repeat figures show why the first sitting matters. In 2025, 40,187 internationally educated repeat candidates took the NCLEX-RN for US licensure and 30.5% passed, compared with 52.7% for US-educated repeaters. Set against the 47.3% first-time rate for internationally educated candidates, repeat attempts in 2025 passed at a clearly lower rate, not a higher one.

Canadian licensure figures and how to read the table yourself

NCSBN reports candidates testing for Canadian registration separately in Table 11. In 2025, 7,312 first-time internationally educated candidates took the NCLEX-RN for Canadian licensure and 39.6% passed. India sent 4,559 of them with a 31.6% rate, the Philippines 966 at 47.7% and Nigeria 646 at 54.0%. Do not mix these with the US figures above, because they are different candidate groups.

Three reading rules help. The table titles say candidates are grouped by country of education, so look up where you trained, not where you hold a passport. They show first-time takers only. And Table 9 lists Puerto Rico among internationally educated entries, at 1,709 candidates and 41.0%. NCSBN posts each annual edition on its Nurse Licensure and NCLEX Statistics page; the 2025 edition is dated June 2026, so check there for a newer year before quoting a figure.

Sources

NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics (Research Brief Vol. 96, June 2026). Table 1 pass rates by candidate type, Table 9 first-time internationally educated NCLEX-RN results by country for US licensure, Table 11 for Canadian licensure, passing standard retained April 2026, criterion-referenced standard

NCSBN, Nurse Licensure and NCLEX Exam Statistics. Where the annual NCLEX Examination Statistics editions are published, including pass rates by country

NCSBN, NCLEX Pass Rates. Interactive dashboard splits domestic vs internationally educated candidates but does not break results down by country