Duration of compulsory education in years in Germany

Germany: Duration of compulsory education in years was 13 in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
13
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 73 countries
All-time high
13
in 1998
All-time low
13
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025

Duration of compulsory education in years in Germany, 1998–2025

0510151998201120251998: 131999: 132000: 132001: 132002: 132003: 132004: 132005: 132006: 132007: 132008: 132009: 132010: 132011: 132012: 132013: 132014: 132015: 132016: 132017: 132018: 132019: 132020: 132021: 132022: 132023: 132024: 132025: 13

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

Germany recorded 13 for duration of compulsory education in years in 2025. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, duration of compulsory education in years in Germany peaked at 13 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 13, in 1998.

Germany ranks 1st of 73 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 13 13 13 2
2000s 13 13 13 10
2010s 13 13 13 10
2020s 13 13 13 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 1 Netherlands 13 compare
  2. 1 Austria 13 compare
  3. 1 Hungary 13 compare
  4. 1 Belgium 13 compare
  5. 1 North Macedonia 13 compare
  6. 1 France 13 compare

See the full ranking of 73 places →

More education data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is duration of compulsory education in years in Germany?
Duration of compulsory education in years in Germany was 13 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest duration of compulsory education in years recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 13 in 1998.
What is the lowest duration of compulsory education in years recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 13 in 1998.
How does Germany rank for duration of compulsory education in years?
Germany ranks 1st out of 73 countries with data for 2025.
Is duration of compulsory education in years rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Duration of compulsory education in years. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Duration of compulsory education in years in Germany. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/duration-of-compulsory-education-in-years/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
Duration of compulsory education in years
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
73 places, 1,969 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed