Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) by country
Official age when students should enter compulsory education assuming they start at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, study full-time throughout and progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade. The theoretical entrance age to a given programme or level is...
Countries reporting
194
Highest
7 years
Afghanistan
Lowest
0 years
Venezuela
Median
6 years
Years covered
46
1975–2020
Data points
4,083
What the numbers show
Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) is currently reported for 194 countries. The highest value is 7 years in Afghanistan; the lowest is 0 years in Venezuela.
The median across all reporting countries is 6 years, and the mean is 5.6 years.
Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) (Official years): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afghanistan | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Estonia | 7 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Ethiopia | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Faroe Islands | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Guinea | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Gambia | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Equatorial Guinea | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Croatia | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Indonesia | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Lithuania | 7 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Moldova | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Mali | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Namibia | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Romania | 7 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Russia | 7 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Rwanda | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Serbia | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Suriname | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tajikistan | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tanzania | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 7 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | South Africa | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Zambia | 7 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Angola | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Albania | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Andorra | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | United Arab Emirates | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Armenia | 6 years | 2020 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 24 | Australia | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Belgium | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Benin | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Burkina Faso | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Bangladesh | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Bahrain | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Belarus | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Brunei | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Central African Republic | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Canada | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Chile | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | China | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 24 | Cote d'Ivoire | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Cameroon | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Congo | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Comoros | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Cape Verde | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Cuba | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Czechia | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Germany | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Djibouti | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Denmark | 6 years | 2020 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 24 | Algeria | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Egypt | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Eritrea | 6 years | 2019 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 24 | Spain | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Finland | 6 years | 2020 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 24 | Gabon | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Georgia | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Guinea-Bissau | 6 years | 2019 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 24 | Greenland | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Guyana | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Hong Kong | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Haiti | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | India | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Ireland | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Iran | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Iraq | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Iceland | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Italy | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Jamaica | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Jordan | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Japan | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Kazakhstan | 6 years | 2020 | down 14.3% | flat |
| 24 | Kenya | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Kyrgyzstan | 6 years | 2020 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 24 | Kiribati | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | South Korea | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Kuwait | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Laos | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Lebanon | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Liberia | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Libya | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Liechtenstein | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Lesotho | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Morocco | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 24 | Monaco | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Madagascar | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Maldives | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | North Macedonia | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Montenegro | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Mongolia | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 24 | Mauritania | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Malawi | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Malaysia | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Nigeria | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Norway | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | New Zealand | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Oman | 6 years | 2019 | — | flat |
| 24 | Palau | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Poland | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 24 | North Korea | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 24 | Portugal | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Palestine | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Qatar | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Saudi Arabia | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Sudan | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Senegal | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 24 | Singapore | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Sierra Leone | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | San Marino | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | South Sudan | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Sao Tome and Principe | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 24 | Slovakia | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Slovenia | 6 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Sweden | 6 years | 2020 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 24 | Eswatini | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Seychelles | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Syria | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Chad | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Togo | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Thailand | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Turkmenistan | 6 years | 2020 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 24 | East Timor | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Tunisia | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Turkey | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Tuvalu | 6 years | 2019 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 24 | Uganda | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Ukraine | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 24 | United States | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Yemen | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Zimbabwe | 6 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Antigua and Barbuda | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Austria | 5 years | 2020 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 133 | Azerbaijan | 5 years | 2020 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 133 | Bulgaria | 5 years | 2019 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 133 | Bahamas | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Belize | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Bermuda | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Barbados | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Switzerland | 5 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Colombia | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Cyprus | 5 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 133 | Dominica | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | United Kingdom | 5 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Gibraltar | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Greece | 5 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 133 | Grenada | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 133 | Honduras | 5 years | 2019 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 133 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Saint Lucia | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Sri Lanka | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Latvia | 5 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Macao | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Marshall Islands | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Malta | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Myanmar | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Mauritius | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Nicaragua | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 133 | Netherlands | 5 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Pakistan | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Philippines | 5 years | 2019 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 133 | Puerto Rico | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Paraguay | 5 years | 2019 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 133 | Trinidad and Tobago | 5 years | 2019 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 133 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | British Virgin Islands | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 133 | Vietnam | 5 years | 2019 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 133 | Samoa | 5 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Aruba | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Argentina | 4 years | 2019 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 170 | Bolivia | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 170 | Brazil | 4 years | 2019 | down 42.9% | falling |
| 170 | Costa Rica | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Curacao | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 170 | Cayman Islands | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Ghana | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 170 | Hungary | 4 years | 2020 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 170 | Luxembourg | 4 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Mexico | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 170 | Nauru | 4 years | 2019 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 170 | Panama | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 170 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 170 | Tonga | 4 years | 2019 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 170 | Uruguay | 4 years | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 187 | Dominican Republic | 3 years | 2019 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 187 | Ecuador | 3 years | 2019 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 187 | France | 3 years | 2020 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 187 | Israel | 3 years | 2019 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 187 | Nepal | 3 years | 2019 | — | flat |
| 187 | Peru | 3 years | 2019 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 193 | El Salvador | 1 years | 2019 | down 85.7% | volatile |
| 194 | Venezuela | 0 years | 2019 | down 100.0% | falling |
About this data
Official age when students should enter compulsory education assuming they start at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, study full-time throughout and progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade. The theoretical entrance age to a given programme or level is typically, but not always, the most common entrance age.