Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) (Official years) in Iceland
Iceland: Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) (Official years) was 6 years in 2020. ▬ Flat
Official entrance age to compulsory education in Iceland, 1998–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2020, official entrance age to compulsory education in Iceland stood at 6 years. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, official entrance age to compulsory education in Iceland peaked at 6 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 6 years, in 1998.
Iceland ranks 24th of 195 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) (Official years) in Iceland, 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 | 6 years | +0.0% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 6 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 6 years, 1.0× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 6 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6 years, 1.0× 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 | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
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More education data for Iceland
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,661 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6,167 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 37,056 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 32,314 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.17 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0838 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is official entrance age to compulsory education in Iceland?
- Official entrance age to compulsory education in Iceland was 6 years in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 6 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 6 years in 1998.
- How does Iceland rank for official entrance age to compulsory education?
- Iceland ranks 24th out of 195 countries with data for 2020.
- Is official entrance age to compulsory education rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Iceland 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.