Duration of compulsory education (years) in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Duration of compulsory education (years) was 8 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
8 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
161st
of 206 countries
All-time high
8 years
in 1998
All-time low
8 years
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia is 8 years, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia peaked at 8 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 8 years, in 1998.
Ethiopia ranks 161st of 206 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Duration of compulsory education (years) in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 8 years | — |
| 1999 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 8 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 8 years | +0.0% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 8 years is below the median for low income countries, which is 8.5 years, 94% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 8 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8 years, 1.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8 years | 8 years | 8 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 8 years | 8 years | 8 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 8 years | 8 years | 8 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 8 years | 8 years | 8 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 161 Belize 8 years compare
- 161 Eritrea 8 years compare
- 161 Micronesia (country) 8 years compare
- 161 Croatia 8 years compare
- 161 India 8 years compare
- 161 Malawi 8 years compare
- 161 Sudan 8 years compare
- 161 Somalia 8 years compare
- 161 Serbia 8 years compare
- 161 South Sudan 8 years compare
- 161 Samoa 8 years compare
More education data for Ethiopia
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 74.92 (2024)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 77.54 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 272,545 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 900,151 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.16 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.03 million (2015)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.93 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia?
- Duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia was 8 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest duration of compulsory education recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 8 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest duration of compulsory education recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 8 years in 1998.
- How does Ethiopia rank for duration of compulsory education?
- Ethiopia ranks 161st out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of compulsory education rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Duration of compulsory education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release