Duration of compulsory education (years) in Namibia
Namibia: Duration of compulsory education (years) was 7 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
7 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
173rd
of 206 countries
All-time high
7 years
in 1998
All-time low
7 years
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Duration of compulsory education in Namibia, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for duration of compulsory education in Namibia is 7 years, measured 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 Namibia peaked at 7 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 7 years, in 1998.
Namibia ranks 173rd of 206 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Duration of compulsory education (years) in Namibia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 7 years | — |
| 1999 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 7 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 7 years | +0.0% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 7 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9 years, 78% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 7 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8 years, 88% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7 years | 7 years | 7 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 7 years | 7 years | 7 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 7 years | 7 years | 7 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 7 years | 7 years | 7 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More education data for Namibia
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.68 (2012)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.13 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 10,653 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 90,003 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 26,964 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 27,746 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 236,050 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,029 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.48 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of compulsory education in Namibia?
- Duration of compulsory education in Namibia was 7 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest duration of compulsory education recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 7 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest duration of compulsory education recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7 years in 1998.
- How does Namibia rank for duration of compulsory education?
- Namibia ranks 173rd out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of compulsory education rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Namibia 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