Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Germany
Germany: Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education was 13 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
13
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 214 countries
All-time high
13
in 1998
All-time low
13
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Germany, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2025, number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Germany stood at 13. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Germany peaked at 13 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 13, in 1998.
That places Germany 1st out of 214 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary 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 10, 1.3× the median. (76 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
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 number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Germany?
- Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in Germany was 13 in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 13 in 1998.
- What is the lowest number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 13 in 1998.
- How does Germany rank for number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education?
- Germany ranks 1st out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of years of compulsory primary and secondary 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 UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release