Official entrance age to upper secondary education (years) by country
Age at which students would enter upper secondary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.
Countries reporting
209
Highest
18 years
Tanzania
Lowest
13 years
Samoa
Median
15 years
Years covered
51
1970–2020
Data points
10,366
What the numbers show
Official entrance age to upper secondary education (years) is currently reported for 209 countries. The highest value is 18 years in Tanzania; the lowest is 13 years in Samoa.
The median across all reporting countries is 15 years, and the mean is 15.19 years.
Over the past decade 8 countries rose and 7 fell. The largest increase was in Marshall Islands (up 14.3%), and the largest decrease in Malta (down 12.5%).
Official entrance age to upper secondary education (years) (age years): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tanzania | 18 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 2 | Burundi | 17 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 2 | Bhutan | 17 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Ethiopia | 17 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Guinea | 17 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Equatorial Guinea | 17 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Lithuania | 17 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Namibia | 17 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 2 | Niger | 17 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 2 | Tonga | 17 years | 2020 | up 13.3% | flat |
| 2 | Uganda | 17 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Afghanistan | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Andorra | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | American Samoa | 16 years | 2020 | — | flat |
| 12 | Australia | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Benin | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Burkina Faso | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 12 | Botswana | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Central African Republic | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Switzerland | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Cote d'Ivoire | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Cameroon | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Congo | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Comoros | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Germany | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Denmark | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Estonia | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Finland | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Fiji | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Gambia | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 12 | Guatemala | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Indonesia | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Ireland | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Iceland | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Jordan | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Kyrgyzstan | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Liechtenstein | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Lesotho | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Latvia | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Moldova | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Maldives | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Marshall Islands | 16 years | 2020 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 12 | Mali | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Mozambique | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Mauritania | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Malawi | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Norway | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Nauru | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Oman | 16 years | 2020 | up 6.7% | flat |
| 12 | Philippines | 16 years | 2020 | up 6.7% | falling |
| 12 | Poland | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Russia | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Rwanda | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 12 | Senegal | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | El Salvador | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Suriname | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Sweden | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Eswatini | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Chad | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Togo | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Tajikistan | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Turkmenistan | 16 years | 2020 | up 6.7% | flat |
| 12 | Tuvalu | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Uzbekistan | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 12 | Vanuatu | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | South Africa | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Zambia | 16 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Angola | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 68 | Albania | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 68 | United Arab Emirates | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Argentina | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Armenia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Antigua and Barbuda | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Azerbaijan | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Bulgaria | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Bahrain | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 68 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 68 | Belarus | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Belize | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Brazil | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Canada | 15 years | 2020 | up 7.1% | flat |
| 68 | China | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Colombia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Cape Verde | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Costa Rica | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Cuba | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Cyprus | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Czechia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 68 | Djibouti | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Dominica | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Algeria | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Ecuador | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Egypt | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Spain | 15 years | 2020 | down 6.2% | rising |
| 68 | France | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Gabon | 15 years | 2020 | down 6.2% | falling |
| 68 | Georgia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Ghana | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Guinea-Bissau | 15 years | 2020 | down 6.2% | falling |
| 68 | Greece | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Grenada | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Guyana | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Hong Kong | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Honduras | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Croatia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Haiti | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Hungary | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Iraq | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Israel | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Jamaica | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Japan | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Kazakhstan | 15 years | 2020 | down 6.2% | rising |
| 68 | Cambodia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Kiribati | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | South Korea | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Kuwait | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 68 | Laos | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Lebanon | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Liberia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Libya | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Saint Lucia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Luxembourg | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Macao | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Morocco | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Monaco | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Madagascar | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Mexico | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | North Macedonia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Montenegro | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Mongolia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Malaysia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | New Caledonia | 15 years | 2020 | — | flat |
| 68 | Nigeria | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Nicaragua | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Netherlands | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | New Zealand | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Panama | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Peru | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 68 | Papua New Guinea | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Puerto Rico | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | North Korea | 15 years | 2019 | up 7.1% | rising |
| 68 | Portugal | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Paraguay | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Palestine | 15 years | 2019 | down 6.2% | flat |
| 68 | French Polynesia | 15 years | 2020 | — | flat |
| 68 | Qatar | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Romania | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Saudi Arabia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Sudan | 15 years | 2020 | up 7.1% | flat |
| 68 | Solomon Islands | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Sierra Leone | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Serbia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Sao Tome and Principe | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Slovakia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 68 | Slovenia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Seychelles | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Syria | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Thailand | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | East Timor | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Trinidad and Tobago | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Tunisia | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Ukraine | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Uruguay | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | United States | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | Venezuela | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 68 | British Virgin Islands | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | United States Virgin Islands | 15 years | 2020 | — | flat |
| 68 | Vietnam | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Yemen | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 68 | Zimbabwe | 15 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 174 | Aruba | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Austria | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Belgium | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 174 | Bangladesh | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 174 | Bahamas | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Bermuda | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 174 | Bolivia | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Barbados | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Brunei | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 174 | Chile | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Curacao | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Cayman Islands | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Dominican Republic | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 174 | Eritrea | 14 years | 2020 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 174 | Micronesia (country) | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | United Kingdom | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | India | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Iran | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Italy | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Kenya | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 174 | Sri Lanka | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 174 | Malta | 14 years | 2020 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 174 | Myanmar | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Mauritius | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Palau | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Singapore | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 174 | San Marino | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Somalia | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | South Sudan | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Turkey | 14 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 206 | Gibraltar | 13 years | 2020 | unchanged | falling |
| 206 | Nepal | 13 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 206 | Pakistan | 13 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 206 | Samoa | 13 years | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
About this data
Age at which students would enter upper secondary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.