Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in India
India: Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education was 8 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in India, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2025, number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in India stood at 8. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in India peaked at 8 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1998.
That places India 159th out of 214 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 0 | — |
| 1999 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 8 | — |
| 2010 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 8 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 8 | +0.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 8 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9, 89% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 8 is above the median for South Asia, which is 8, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.8 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
- 159 Belize 8 compare
- 159 Eritrea 8 compare
- 159 Ethiopia 8 compare
- 159 Micronesia, Federated States of 8 compare
- 159 Croatia 8 compare
- 159 Malawi 8 compare
- 159 Nepal 8 compare
- 159 Poland 8 compare
- 159 Sudan 8 compare
- 159 Somalia 8 compare
- 159 Serbia 8 compare
- 159 South Sudan 8 compare
- 159 Samoa 8 compare
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in India?
- Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in India was 8 in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 8 in 2009.
- What is the lowest number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1998.
- How does India rank for number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education?
- India ranks 159th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release