Duration of compulsory education in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Duration of compulsory education was 6 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
6 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
182nd
of 205 countries
All-time high
6 years
in 1998
All-time low
6 years
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Duration of compulsory education in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2025, duration of compulsory education in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 6 years. 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 Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 6 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 6 years, in 1998.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 182nd out of 205 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Duration of compulsory education in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 6 years | — |
| 1999 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 6 years | +0.0% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 6 years is below the median for low income countries, which is 8.5 years, 71% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 6 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8 years, 75% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 182 Benin 6 years compare
- 182 Cameroon 6 years compare
- 182 Comoros 6 years compare
- 182 Equatorial Guinea 6 years compare
- 182 Guinea 6 years compare
- 182 Guyana 6 years compare
- 182 Haiti 6 years compare
- 182 Iraq 6 years compare
- 182 Jamaica 6 years compare
- 182 Liberia 6 years compare
- 182 Malaysia 6 years compare
- 182 Rwanda 6 years compare
- 182 Sao Tome and Principe 6 years compare
- 182 Singapore 6 years compare
- 182 Suriname 6 years compare
More education data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 21.15 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.0971 units per person (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 7.8 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 10.28 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.1999 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1999 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of compulsory education in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Duration of compulsory education in Democratic Republic of Congo was 6 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 6 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest duration of compulsory education recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 6 years in 1998.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for duration of compulsory education?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 182nd out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of compulsory education rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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
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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.