Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
201
Highest
13
Bermuda
Lowest
0
Saint Helena
Median
10
Years covered
51
1975–2025
Data points
5,894
What the numbers show
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks is currently reported for 201 countries. The highest value is 13 in Bermuda; the lowest is 0 in Saint Helena.
The median across all reporting countries is 10, and the mean is 9.62.
Over the past decade 14 countries rose and 2 fell. The largest increase was in Lao People's Democratic Republic (up 80.0%), and the largest decrease in Poland (down 11.1%).
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bermuda | 13 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Germany | 13 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | North Macedonia | 13 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Tonga | 13 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Argentina | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Armenia | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Austria | 12 | 2025 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 5 | Belgium | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Bahamas | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Brazil | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Chile | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Curaçao | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Dominica | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Dominican Republic | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Ecuador | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Egypt | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Gibraltar | 12 | 2025 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 5 | Grenada | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Israel | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Italy | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Kenya | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Mexico | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Marshall Islands | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Mongolia | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Mauritius | 12 | 2025 | up 9.1% | rising |
| 5 | Netherlands | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Naoero | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Pakistan | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Philippines | 12 | 2025 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 5 | Palau | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Puerto Rico | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Portugal | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Paraguay | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Qatar | 12 | 2025 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 5 | Turkmenistan | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Türkiye | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Uruguay | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | United States of America | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 5 | British Virgin Islands | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Anguilla | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Cook Islands | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Montserrat | 12 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 47 | Aruba | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 47 | Antigua and Barbuda | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Australia | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Belarus | 11 | 2025 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 47 | Barbados | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Colombia | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 47 | Costa Rica | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 47 | Cayman Islands | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Finland | 11 | 2025 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 47 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Honduras | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 47 | Sri Lanka | 11 | 2025 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 47 | Monaco | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Malta | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Peru | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 47 | Russian Federation | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 47 | Senegal | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 47 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Seychelles | 11 | 2025 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 47 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Ukraine | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 47 | Uzbekistan | 11 | 2025 | down 8.3% | rising |
| 47 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 47 | Niue | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 47 | Tokelau | 11 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | Andorra | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Burkina Faso | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | Central African Republic | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Canada | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Switzerland | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | Côte d'Ivoire | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Congo | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Cape Verde | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | Djibouti | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | Denmark | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | Algeria | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Spain | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | France | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Gabon | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Hungary | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 73 | Ireland | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | Iceland | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Jordan | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Lebanon | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | Saint Lucia | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Liechtenstein | 10 | 2025 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 73 | Lithuania | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Luxembourg | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | Maldives | 10 | 2025 | up 42.9% | rising |
| 73 | Norway | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | New Zealand | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Oman | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 73 | Palestine, State of | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Romania | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | San Marino | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Slovakia | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 73 | Chad | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 73 | Togo | 10 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Afghanistan | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Angola | 9 | 2025 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 106 | Albania | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Azerbaijan | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Bulgaria | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Bahrain | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 106 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Brunei Darussalam | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 106 | China | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Cuba | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Cyprus | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Czechia | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Estonia | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Georgia | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Ghana | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Gambia | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Guinea-Bissau | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Greece | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Guatemala | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Hong Kong, China | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Indonesia | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Japan | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Kazakhstan | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Kyrgyzstan | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Kiribati | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 106 | Korea | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Kuwait | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 9 | 2025 | up 80.0% | rising |
| 106 | Libya | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Latvia | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Macau, China | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Morocco | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Republic of Moldova | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Mali | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Montenegro | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Mauritania | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Nigeria | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 106 | Panama | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Saudi Arabia | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Sierra Leone | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 106 | El Salvador | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Slovenia | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Sweden | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Syrian Arab Republic | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Thailand | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Tajikistan | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Timor-Leste | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Tunisia | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | Tuvalu | 9 | 2025 | up 12.5% | volatile |
| 106 | Viet Nam | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 106 | Yemen | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 106 | South Africa | 9 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 159 | Belize | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 159 | Eritrea | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 159 | Ethiopia | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 159 | Micronesia, Federated States of | 8 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 159 | Croatia | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 159 | India | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 159 | Malawi | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 159 | Nepal | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 159 | Poland | 8 | 2025 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 159 | Sudan | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 159 | Somalia | 8 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 159 | Serbia | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 159 | South Sudan | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 159 | Samoa | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Lesotho | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 173 | Namibia | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Eswatini | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 173 | Trinidad and Tobago | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 173 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Uganda | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 173 | Zambia | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Zimbabwe | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Benin | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Cameroon | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Comoros | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 181 | Guinea | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Equatorial Guinea | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 181 | Guyana | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Haiti | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Iraq | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Jamaica | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Liberia | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 181 | Malaysia | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 181 | Nicaragua | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Rwanda | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Singapore | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 181 | Sao Tome and Principe | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 181 | Suriname | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 198 | Bangladesh | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 198 | Madagascar | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 198 | Myanmar | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 201 | Saint Helena | 0 | 2025 | — | volatile |
About this data
February 2026 Data Release