Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) (Official years) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) (Official years) was 5 years in 2020. ▬ Flat
Official entrance age to compulsory education in United Kingdom, 1998–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for official entrance age to compulsory education in United Kingdom is 5 years, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, official entrance age to compulsory education in United Kingdom peaked at 5 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 5 years, in 1998.
United Kingdom ranks 133rd of 195 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Official entrance age to compulsory education (years) (Official years) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 5 years | — |
| 1999 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5 years | +0.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 5 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 6 years, 83% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 5 years is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6 years, 83% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 133 Antigua and Barbuda 5 years compare
- 133 Austria 5 years compare
- 133 Azerbaijan 5 years compare
- 133 Bahamas 5 years compare
- 133 Barbados 5 years compare
- 133 Belize 5 years compare
- 133 Bermuda 5 years compare
- 133 British Virgin Islands 5 years compare
- 133 Bulgaria 5 years compare
- 133 Colombia 5 years compare
- 133 Cyprus 5 years compare
- 133 Dominica 5 years compare
- 133 Gibraltar 5 years compare
- 133 Greece 5 years compare
- 133 Grenada 5 years compare
- 133 Honduras 5 years compare
- 133 Latvia 5 years compare
- 133 Macao 5 years compare
- 133 Malta 5 years compare
- 133 Marshall Islands 5 years compare
- 133 Mauritius 5 years compare
- 133 Myanmar 5 years compare
- 133 Netherlands 5 years compare
- 133 Nicaragua 5 years compare
- 133 Pakistan 5 years compare
- 133 Paraguay 5 years compare
- 133 Philippines 5 years compare
- 133 Puerto Rico 5 years compare
- 133 Samoa 5 years compare
- 133 Sri Lanka 5 years compare
- 133 Saint Kitts and Nevis 5 years compare
- 133 Saint Lucia 5 years compare
- 133 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5 years compare
- 133 Switzerland 5 years compare
- 133 Trinidad and Tobago 5 years compare
- 133 Vietnam 5 years compare
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 official entrance age to compulsory education in United Kingdom?
- Official entrance age to compulsory education in United Kingdom was 5 years in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 5 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest official entrance age to compulsory education recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 5 years in 1998.
- How does United Kingdom rank for official entrance age to compulsory education?
- United Kingdom ranks 133rd out of 195 countries with data for 2020.
- Is official entrance age to compulsory 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 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.