Chile vs North Korea: Duration of compulsory education
Chile
12 years
in 2025
North Korea
12 years
in 2025
Chile rank
33rd
North Korea rank
33rd
Duration of compulsory education over time
- Chile
- North Korea
How they compare
Chile currently reports 12 years against 12 years in North Korea, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1998 it was North Korea ahead.
Chile ranks 33rd and North Korea ranks 33rd of 205 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Chile averaged higher in 1 and North Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Chile | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8 years | 11 years | 3 years | North Korea |
| 2000s | 10.8 years | 11 years | 0.2 years | North Korea |
| 2010s | 12 years | 11.6 years | 0.4 years | Chile |
| 2020s | 12 years | 12 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher duration of compulsory education, Chile or North Korea?
- Chile, at 12 years against 12 years in North Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of compulsory education between Chile and North Korea?
- 0 years, with Chile ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Chile and North Korea?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do Chile and North Korea rank globally for duration of compulsory education?
- Chile ranks 33rd and North Korea ranks 33rd of 205 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Duration of compulsory education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The number of years of compulsory education is based on students starting at the earliest entrance age, studying full-time, and advancing without grade repetition or skipping.