Duration of compulsory education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Duration of compulsory education was 11 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Duration of compulsory education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for duration of compulsory education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 11 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 11 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 11 years, in 1998.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 62nd of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Duration of compulsory education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 11 years | — |
| 1999 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 11 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 11 years | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11 years | 11 years | 11 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 11 years | 11 years | 11 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 11 years | 11 years | 11 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 11 years | 11 years | 11 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 62 Antigua and Barbuda 11 years compare
- 62 Australia 11 years compare
- 62 Belarus 11 years compare
- 62 Barbados 11 years compare
- 62 Switzerland 11 years compare
- 62 Ghana 11 years compare
- 62 Sri Lanka 11 years compare
- 62 Lithuania 11 years compare
- 62 Latvia 11 years compare
- 62 Monaco 11 years compare
- 62 Malta 11 years compare
- 62 Panama 11 years compare
- 62 Russian Federation 11 years compare
- 62 Senegal 11 years compare
- 62 Slovakia 11 years compare
- 62 Seychelles 11 years compare
- 62 Ukraine 11 years compare
- 62 Uzbekistan 11 years compare
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 281,128 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 63.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 17.0% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 11 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 102.17 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary 102.2% (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of compulsory education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Duration of compulsory education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 11 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest duration of compulsory education recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 11 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest duration of compulsory education recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 11 years in 1998.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for duration of compulsory education?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 62nd out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of compulsory education rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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