reverted:
--- b/core/includes/pager.inc
+++ a/core/includes/pager.inc
@@ -271,7 +271,6 @@
       $items['pages'][$i]['attributes'] = new Attribute();
       if ($i == $pager_current) {
         $variables['current'] = $i;
-        $items['pages'][$i]['attributes']['aria-current'] = 'page';
       }
     }
     // Add an ellipsis if there are further next pages.
diff -u b/core/themes/classy/templates/navigation/pager.html.twig b/core/themes/classy/templates/navigation/pager.html.twig
--- b/core/themes/classy/templates/navigation/pager.html.twig
+++ b/core/themes/classy/templates/navigation/pager.html.twig
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
           {% else %}
             {% set title = 'Go to page @key'|t({'@key': key}) %}
           {% endif %}
-          <a href="{{ item.href }}" title="{{ title }}"{{ item.attributes|without('href', 'title') }}>
+          <a href="{{ item.href }}" title="{{ title }}" aria-current="{{ current == key ? 'page' }}"{{ item.attributes|without('href', 'title') }}>
             <span class="visually-hidden">
               {{ 'Page'|t }}
             </span>
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/modules/system/templates/pager.html.twig
+++ b/core/modules/system/templates/pager.html.twig
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@
           {% else %}
             {% set title = 'Go to page @key'|t({'@key': key}) %}
           {% endif %}
-          <a href="{{ item.href }}" title="{{ title }}"{{ item.attributes|without('href', 'title') }}>
+          <a href="{{ item.href }}" title="{{ title }}" aria-current="{{ current == key ? 'page' }}"{{ item.attributes|without('href', 'title') }}>
             <span class="visually-hidden">
-              {{ current == key ? 'Current page'|t : 'Page'|t }}
+              {{ 'Page'|t }}
             </span>
             {{- key -}}
           </a>
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/themes/claro/templates/pager.html.twig
+++ b/core/themes/claro/templates/pager.html.twig
@@ -80,9 +80,9 @@
           {% else %}
             {% set title = 'Go to page @key'|t({'@key': key}) %}
           {% endif %}
-          <a href="{{ item.href }}" class="pager__link{{ current == key ? ' is-active' }}" title="{{ title }}"{{ item.attributes|without('href', 'title', 'class') }}>
+          <a href="{{ item.href }}" class="pager__link{{ current == key ? ' is-active' }}" title="{{ title }}" aria-current="{{ current == key ? 'page' }}"{{ item.attributes|without('href', 'title', 'class') }}>
             <span class="visually-hidden">
-              {{ current == key ? 'Current page'|t : 'Page'|t }}
+              {{ 'Page'|t }}
             </span>
             {{ key }}
           </a>
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/core/themes/stable/templates/navigation/pager.html.twig
+++ b/core/themes/stable/templates/navigation/pager.html.twig
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@
           {% else %}
             {% set title = 'Go to page @key'|t({'@key': key}) %}
           {% endif %}
-          <a href="{{ item.href }}" title="{{ title }}"{{ item.attributes|without('href', 'title') }}>
+          <a href="{{ item.href }}" title="{{ title }}" aria-current="{{ current == key ? 'page' }}"{{ item.attributes|without('href', 'title') }}>
             <span class="visually-hidden">
-              {{ current == key ? 'Current page'|t : 'Page'|t }}
+              {{ 'Page'|t }}
             </span>
             {{- key -}}
           </a>