What is the lowest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in Germany?

The lowest recorded value was 6 in 1998.

How does Germany rank for official entrance age to compulsory education?

Germany ranks 9th out of 73 countries with data for 2025.

Is official entrance age to compulsory 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 UNICEF, published as part of Official entrance age to compulsory education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Official entrance age to compulsory education (UNICEF) in Germany

Name: Official entrance age to compulsory education (UNICEF) in Germany
Creator: UNICEF
License: UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)

Germany: Official entrance age to compulsory education (UNICEF) was 6 in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

9th

of 73 countries

All-time high

in 1998

All-time low

in 1998

Years of data

1998–2025

Official entrance age to compulsory education in Germany, 1998–2025

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

In 2025, official entrance age to compulsory education in Germany stood at 6. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.

The figure is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, official entrance age to compulsory education in Germany peaked at 6 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 6, in 1998.

Germany ranks 9th of 73 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Official entrance age to compulsory education (UNICEF) in Germany, year by year

Annual values for Official entrance age to compulsory education in Germany, 1998 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1998	6	—
1999	6	+0.0%
2000	6	+0.0%
2001	6	+0.0%
2002	6	+0.0%
2003	6	+0.0%
2004	6	+0.0%
2005	6	+0.0%
2006	6	+0.0%
2007	6	+0.0%
2008	6	+0.0%
2009	6	+0.0%
2010	6	+0.0%
2011	6	+0.0%
2012	6	+0.0%
2013	6	+0.0%
2014	6	+0.0%
2015	6	+0.0%
2016	6	+0.0%
2017	6	+0.0%
2018	6	+0.0%
2019	6	+0.0%
2020	6	+0.0%
2021	6	+0.0%
2022	6	+0.0%
2023	6	+0.0%
2024	6	+0.0%
2025	6	+0.0%

Germany compared with similar countries

Germany's 6 is above the median for high income countries, which is 6, 1.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Germany's 6 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6, 1.0× the median. (52 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1990s	6	6	6	2
2000s	6	6	6	10
2010s	6	6	6	10
2020s	6	6	6	6

Countries ranked near Germany

See the full ranking of 73 places →

More education data for Germany

Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.48 (2022)
Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.73 (2024)
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)

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is official entrance age to compulsory education in Germany?: Official entrance age to compulsory education in Germany was 6 in 2025, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in Germany?: The highest recorded value was 6 in 1998.
What is the lowest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in Germany?: The lowest recorded value was 6 in 1998.
How does Germany rank for official entrance age to compulsory education?: Germany ranks 9th out of 73 countries with data for 2025.
Is official entrance age to compulsory 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 UNICEF, published as part of Official entrance age to compulsory education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Official entrance age to compulsory education in Germany. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 13 November 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/official-entrance-age-to-compulsory-education-2/germany/

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About this data

Indicator: Official entrance age to compulsory education
Source: UNICEF
Licence: UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage: 73 places, 1,969 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed: 20 August 2026