Lower secondary school starting age (years) by country
Lower secondary school starting age is the age at which students would enter lower secondary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.
Countries reporting
205
Highest
14 years
Namibia
Lowest
10 years
Ukraine
Median
12 years
Years covered
56
1970–2025
Data points
11,411
What the numbers show
Lower secondary school starting age (years) is currently reported for 205 countries. The highest value is 14 years in Namibia; the lowest is 10 years in Ukraine.
The median across all reporting countries is 12 years, and the mean is 11.75 years.
Lower secondary school starting age: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namibia | 14 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tanzania | 14 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | South Africa | 14 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Zambia | 14 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Afghanistan | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Botswana | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 5 | Denmark | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Estonia | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Ethiopia | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Finland | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Guinea | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Gambia | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Equatorial Guinea | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Guatemala | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Indonesia | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Iceland | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Lesotho | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Latvia | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Mali | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Mozambique | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Niger | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Norway | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Papua New Guinea | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | El Salvador | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Sweden | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Eswatini | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Uganda | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Zimbabwe | 13 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Aruba | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Angola | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Andorra | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Argentina | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | American Samoa | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Antigua and Barbuda | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Australia | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Burundi | 12 years | 2025 | down 7.7% | flat |
| 30 | Belgium | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Benin | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Burkina Faso | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Bahrain | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Bolivia | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Brunei | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Bhutan | 12 years | 2025 | down 7.7% | rising |
| 30 | Central African Republic | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Canada | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Switzerland | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Chile | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | China | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Cote d'Ivoire | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Cameroon | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Congo | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Cape Verde | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Costa Rica | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Cuba | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Curacao | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Cyprus | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Dominica | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Dominican Republic | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Ecuador | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Egypt | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Spain | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Fiji | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Micronesia (country) | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Georgia | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Ghana | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Guinea-Bissau | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Greece | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Grenada | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Guyana | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Hong Kong | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Honduras | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Haiti | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Iran | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Iraq | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Israel | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Jamaica | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Jordan | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Japan | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Kenya | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Cambodia | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Kiribati | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | South Korea | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Lebanon | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Liberia | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Libya | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Saint Lucia | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Macao | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Morocco | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Maldives | 12 years | 2025 | down 7.7% | rising |
| 30 | Mexico | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Marshall Islands | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Mauritania | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Malawi | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Malaysia | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Nigeria | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Nicaragua | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Netherlands | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Nauru | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Panama | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Peru | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Philippines | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Palau | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Puerto Rico | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | North Korea | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Portugal | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Paraguay | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Qatar | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Rwanda | 12 years | 2025 | down 7.7% | flat |
| 30 | Saudi Arabia | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Sudan | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Senegal | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Singapore | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Solomon Islands | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Sierra Leone | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | South Sudan | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Sao Tome and Principe | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Suriname | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Slovenia | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 30 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Seychelles | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Syria | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Chad | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Togo | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Thailand | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | East Timor | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Tonga | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Trinidad and Tobago | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Tunisia | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Tuvalu | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Uruguay | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | United States | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Venezuela | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 30 | British Virgin Islands | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | United States Virgin Islands | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Vanuatu | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 30 | Yemen | 12 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Albania | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 144 | Bangladesh | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 144 | Bulgaria | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Bahamas | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 144 | Belize | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 144 | Bermuda | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 144 | Brazil | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Barbados | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Colombia | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 144 | Comoros | 11 years | 2025 | down 8.3% | flat |
| 144 | Cayman Islands | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Czechia | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 144 | Djibouti | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 144 | Algeria | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 144 | Eritrea | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 144 | France | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Gabon | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 144 | United Kingdom | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Gibraltar | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 144 | Croatia | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Hungary | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | India | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Italy | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Kyrgyzstan | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 144 | Kuwait | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 144 | Laos | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 144 | Lithuania | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Monaco | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Moldova | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Madagascar | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 144 | North Macedonia | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Montenegro | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Mongolia | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Mauritius | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | New Caledonia | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | New Zealand | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Poland | 11 years | 2025 | down 15.4% | falling |
| 144 | French Polynesia | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Romania | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Russia | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 144 | San Marino | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Serbia | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Tajikistan | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Uzbekistan | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 144 | Vietnam | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 144 | Samoa | 11 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | United Arab Emirates | 10 years | 2025 | down 9.1% | falling |
| 192 | Armenia | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Austria | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Azerbaijan | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Belarus | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 192 | Germany | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Kazakhstan | 10 years | 2025 | down 9.1% | rising |
| 192 | Sri Lanka | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 192 | Myanmar | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Nepal | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 192 | Oman | 10 years | 2025 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 192 | Pakistan | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Palestine | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Somalia | 10 years | 2025 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 192 | Slovakia | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Turkmenistan | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 192 | Turkey | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 192 | Ukraine | 10 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
About this data
Lower secondary school starting age is the age at which students would enter lower secondary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.