Duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Duration of compulsory education was 8 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
8
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
161st
of 205 countries
All-time high
8
in 1998
All-time low
8
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia, 1998–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia stood at 8. 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 Ethiopia peaked at 8 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 8, in 1998.
Ethiopia ranks 161st of 205 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 8 | — |
| 1999 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 8 | +0.0% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 8 is below the median for low income countries, which is 8.5, 94% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 8 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8, 1.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
| 2000s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More education data for Ethiopia
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 74.92 (2024)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 77.54 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 272,545 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 900,151 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.16 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.03 million (2015)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.93 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia?
- Duration of compulsory education in Ethiopia was 8 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest duration of compulsory education recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 1998.
- What is the lowest duration of compulsory education recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 8 in 1998.
- How does Ethiopia rank for duration of compulsory education?
- Ethiopia ranks 161st out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of compulsory education rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from 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).