Duration of compulsory education in Eritrea
Eritrea: Duration of compulsory education was 8 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Duration of compulsory education in Eritrea, 2010–2025
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 Eritrea stood at 8 years. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, duration of compulsory education in Eritrea peaked at 8 years in 2010 and was at its lowest, 8 years, in 2010.
That places Eritrea 161st out of 205 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Duration of compulsory education in Eritrea, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 8 years | — |
| 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% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 8 years is below the median for low income countries, which is 8.5 years, 94% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Eritrea'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 8 years | 8 years | 8 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 8 years | 8 years | 8 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
- 161 Belize 8 years compare
- 161 Croatia 8 years compare
- 161 Ethiopia 8 years compare
- 161 India 8 years compare
- 161 Malawi 8 years compare
- 161 Micronesia (country) 8 years compare
- 161 Samoa 8 years compare
- 161 Serbia 8 years compare
- 161 Somalia 8 years compare
- 161 South Sudan 8 years compare
- 161 Sudan 8 years compare
More education data for Eritrea
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 9,725 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 23,881 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 28,835 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 26,792 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 266,829 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 398,090 (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.7908 % change on previous year (2018)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2011)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1168 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of compulsory education in Eritrea?
- Duration of compulsory education in Eritrea was 8 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 Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 8 years in 2010.
- What is the lowest duration of compulsory education recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 8 years in 2010.
- How does Eritrea rank for duration of compulsory education?
- Eritrea ranks 161st out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of compulsory education rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Eritrea 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.
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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.