Italy vs United Kingdom: Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education

Italy
97.1%
in 2021
United Kingdom
96.9%
in 2021
Italy rank
2nd
United Kingdom rank
3rd

Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education over time

  • Italy
  • United Kingdom
020406080100200120112021

How they compare

Italy currently reports 97.1% against 96.9% in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.2%.

Across all 5 years both countries report, Italy has been ahead every year.

Italy ranks 2nd and United Kingdom ranks 3rd of 13 countries.

Italy has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Italy United Kingdom Difference Ahead
2000s 97.1% 93.7% 3.5% Italy
2010s 97.6% 95.9% 1.7% Italy
2020s 97.1% 96.9% 0.2% Italy

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education, Italy or United Kingdom?
Italy, at 97.1% against 96.9% in United Kingdom as of 2021.
What is the difference in proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education between Italy and United Kingdom?
0.2%, with Italy ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Italy and United Kingdom?
5 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2021.
How do Italy and United Kingdom rank globally for proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education?
Italy ranks 2nd and United Kingdom ranks 3rd of 13 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education prepared for the future in reading, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Italy vs United Kingdom: Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/proportion-of-children-young-people-at-the-age-of-primary-education-prepared-for-the-2/italy/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education prepared for the future in reading, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
22 places, 245 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release