Lower secondary school starting age in Germany
Germany: Lower secondary school starting age was 10 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
10 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
192nd
of 209 countries
All-time high
10 years
in 1970
All-time low
10 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Lower secondary school starting age in Germany, 1970–2025
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2025, lower secondary school starting age in Germany stood at 10 years. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, lower secondary school starting age in Germany peaked at 10 years in 1970 and was at its lowest, 10 years, in 1970.
That places Germany 192nd out of 209 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Lower secondary school starting age in Germany, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 10 years | — |
| 1971 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 10 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 10 years | +0.0% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 10 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 12 years, 83% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Germany's 10 years is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11 years, 91% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 192 Armenia 10 years compare
- 192 Austria 10 years compare
- 192 Azerbaijan 10 years compare
- 192 Belarus 10 years compare
- 192 Kazakhstan 10 years compare
- 192 Myanmar 10 years compare
- 192 Nepal 10 years compare
- 192 Oman 10 years compare
- 192 Pakistan 10 years compare
- 192 Slovakia 10 years compare
- 192 Somalia 10 years compare
- 192 Sri Lanka 10 years compare
- 192 Turkey 10 years compare
- 192 Turkmenistan 10 years compare
- 192 Ukraine 10 years compare
- 192 United Arab Emirates 10 years compare
- 192 Palestine 10 years compare
More education data for Germany
- 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)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0396 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lower secondary school starting age in Germany?
- Lower secondary school starting age in Germany was 10 years in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest lower secondary school starting age recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 10 years in 1970.
- What is the lowest lower secondary school starting age recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 10 years in 1970.
- How does Germany rank for lower secondary school starting age?
- Germany ranks 192nd out of 209 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lower secondary school starting age 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 Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Lower secondary school starting age (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.