Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education was 11 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
11
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
14th
of 73 countries
All-time high
11
in 1998
All-time low
11
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in United Kingdom, 1998–2025
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in United Kingdom is 11, measured in 2025. 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 United Kingdom peaked at 11 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 11, in 1998.
That places United Kingdom 14th out of 73 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 11 | — |
| 1999 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 11 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 11 | +0.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 11 is above the median for high income countries, which is 10, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 11 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10, 1.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11 | 11 | 11 | 2 |
| 2000s | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| 2010s | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| 2020s | 11 | 11 | 11 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More education data for United Kingdom
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in United Kingdom?
- Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education in United Kingdom was 11 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 11 in 1998.
- What is the lowest number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 11 in 1998.
- How does United Kingdom rank for number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education?
- United Kingdom ranks 14th out of 73 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, 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 UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).