Duration of compulsory education in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Duration of compulsory education was 5 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Duration of compulsory education in Bangladesh, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for duration of compulsory education in Bangladesh is 5 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 Bangladesh peaked at 5 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 5 years, in 1998.
Bangladesh ranks 198th of 205 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Duration of compulsory education in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 5 years | — |
| 1999 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 5 years | +0.0% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 5 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9 years, 56% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 5 years is below the median for South Asia, which is 9 years, 56% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
- 198 Madagascar 5 years compare
- 198 Myanmar 5 years compare
- 201 Guam 0 years
- 201 Martinique 0 years
- 201 New Caledonia 0 years
- 201 Norfolk Island 0 years
- 201 Reunion 0 years
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of compulsory education in Bangladesh?
- Duration of compulsory education in Bangladesh was 5 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest duration of compulsory education recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 5 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest duration of compulsory education recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 5 years in 1998.
- How does Bangladesh rank for duration of compulsory education?
- Bangladesh ranks 198th out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of compulsory education rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Duration of compulsory education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The number of years of compulsory education is based on students starting at the earliest entrance age, studying full-time, and advancing without grade repetition or skipping.