Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) (Official years) in France
France: Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) (Official years) was 3 years in 2020. ▼ Falling
Official entrance age to compulsory education in France, 1998–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for official entrance age to compulsory education in France is 3 years, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
The figure is down 50.0% on the previous year and down 50.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, official entrance age to compulsory education in France peaked at 6 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 3 years, in 2020.
That places France 187th out of 195 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) (Official years) in France, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 6 years | — |
| 1999 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3 years | -50.0% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 3 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 6 years, 50% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
- France's 3 years is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6 years, 50% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near France
More education data for France
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 457,956 (2019)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 43,533 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.19 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.14 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0602 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is official entrance age to compulsory education in France?
- Official entrance age to compulsory education in France was 3 years in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 6 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 years in 2020.
- How does France rank for official entrance age to compulsory education?
- France ranks 187th out of 195 countries with data for 2020.
- Is official entrance age to compulsory education rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Official entrance age to compulsory education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.