Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years was 13.55 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2021, mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 13.55. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 13.55 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 11.31, in 1971.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 7th of 121 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 11.31 | — |
| 2009 | 12.98 | +14.8% |
| 2010 | 13.12 | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 13.08 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 13.27 | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 12.75 | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 12.84 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 13.16 | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 13.45 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 13.55 | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.31 | 11.31 | 11.31 | 1 |
| 2000s | 12.98 | 12.98 | 12.98 | 1 |
| 2010s | 13.04 | 12.75 | 13.27 | 6 |
| 2020s | 13.5 | 13.45 | 13.55 | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 4 Estonia 13.93 compare
- 5 Poland 13.57 compare
- 6 Latvia 13.57 compare
- 8 Cayman Islands 13.55 compare
- 9 Switzerland 13.48 compare
- 10 United Arab Emirates 13.43 compare
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 13.55 in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 13.55 in 2021.
- What is the lowest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.31 in 1971.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 7th out of 121 countries with data for 2021.
- Is mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years, female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release