The Prevalence of Learning Disabilities among Elementary School Children in Iran from 1990 to 2025: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Learning disabilities (LDs) are among the most common developmental and educational challenges faced by school-age children worldwide. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide a pooled estimate of the prevalence of all types of LDs in elementary school students in Iran.

Materials and Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was performed in international and national databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Magiran, and SID, from January 1990 to March 2025. The quality of the articles was evaluated using the Joanna briggs institute (JBI). All analyses in this study were performed using the comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) software, version 3.0.

Results: A total of 32 studies, comprising 81363 students, were included. The pooled prevalence of LDs among elementary school children in Iran was 5.6% (boys, 6.4%; girls, 5%). The prevalence of LDs in first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students was 9.5%, 6.9%, 6.2%, 5.2%, 4.5%, and 3.1%, respectively. The pooled prevalence of dyslexia,

dyscalculia, and dysgraphia was 5.4%, 4.3%, and 3.4%, respectively.

Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis reveal that at least one in 20 Iranian students has a learning disability, and this rate rises to one in ten in early grades.