Duration of compulsory education in Germany
Germany: Duration of compulsory education was 13 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
13
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
17th
of 205 countries
All-time high
13
in 1998
All-time low
13
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Duration of compulsory education in Germany, 1998–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Germany recorded 13 for duration of compulsory education 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 Germany peaked at 13 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 13, in 1998.
That places Germany 17th out of 205 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Duration of compulsory education in Germany, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 13 | — |
| 1999 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 13 | +0.0% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 13 is above the median for high income countries, which is 11, 1.2× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Germany's 13 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13 | 13 | 13 | 2 |
| 2000s | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 |
| 2010s | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13 | 13 | 13 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 17 Aruba 13 compare
- 17 Austria 13 compare
- 17 Belgium 13 compare
- 17 Bermuda 13 compare
- 17 Costa Rica 13 compare
- 17 France 13 compare
- 17 Gibraltar 13 compare
- 17 Hungary 13 compare
- 17 Marshall Islands 13 compare
- 17 Netherlands 13 compare
- 17 North Macedonia 13 compare
- 17 Paraguay 13 compare
- 17 Philippines 13 compare
- 17 Puerto Rico 13 compare
- 17 Turks and Caicos Islands 13 compare
More education data for Germany
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.48 (2022)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.73 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 618,670 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,242 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.27 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.97 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.31 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.83 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of compulsory education in Germany?
- Duration of compulsory education in Germany was 13 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest duration of compulsory education recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 13 in 1998.
- What is the lowest duration of compulsory education recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 13 in 1998.
- How does Germany rank for duration of compulsory education?
- Germany ranks 17th out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of compulsory education rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Germany 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).