North Korea vs United States: Compulsory education, duration
North Korea
12 years
in 2025
United States
12 years
in 2025
North Korea rank
33rd
United States rank
33rd
Compulsory education, duration over time
- North Korea
- United States
How they compare
North Korea currently reports 12 years against 12 years in United States, a difference of 0 years.
Across all 28 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
North Korea ranks 33rd and United States ranks 33rd of 197 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North Korea | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11 years | 12 years | 1 years | United States |
| 2000s | 11 years | 12 years | 1 years | United States |
| 2010s | 11.6 years | 12 years | 0.4 years | United States |
| 2020s | 12 years | 12 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher compulsory education, duration, North Korea or United States?
- North Korea, at 12 years against 12 years in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in compulsory education, duration between North Korea and United States?
- 0 years, with North Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North Korea and United States?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do North Korea and United States rank globally for compulsory education, duration?
- North Korea ranks 33rd and United States ranks 33rd of 197 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Compulsory education, duration (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Duration of compulsory education is the number of years that children are legally obliged to attend school.