Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper was 3.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
3.5%
Change on year
up 12.4%
World rank
150th
of 179 countries
All-time high
6.9%
in 2012
All-time low
1.0%
in 2014
Years of data
23
2000–2023

Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2000–2023

2462000201120232000: 6 %2001: 5.6 %2002: 4.2 %2003: 4.1 %2004: 2.2 %2005: 2.6 %2006: 5.8 %2007: 6.8 %2008: 5.7 %2009: 4.3 %2010: 3.1 %2011: 5.4 %2012: 6.9 %2013: 3 %2014: 1 %2015: 1.1 %2017: 1.6 %2018: 2.9 %2019: 3.3 %2020: 3.3 %2021: 3 %2022: 3.1 %2023: 3.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 3.5%, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 12.4% on the previous year and up 15.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 6.9% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2014.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 150th out of 179 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 6.0%
2001 5.6% -6.6%
2002 4.2% -24.2%
2003 4.1% -2.5%
2004 2.2% -47.2%
2005 2.6% +19.7%
2006 5.8% +122.7%
2007 6.8% +17.1%
2008 5.7% -16.6%
2009 4.3% -24.7%
2010 3.1% -27.9%
2011 5.4% +75.5%
2012 6.9% +28.6%
2013 3.0% -56.2%
2014 1.0% -65.7%
2015 1.1% +4.0%
2017 1.6% +46.2%
2018 2.9% +80.5%
2019 3.3% +14.5%
2020 3.3% +1.6%
2021 3.0% -8.4%
2022 3.1% +2.7%
2023 3.5% +12.4%

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 3.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.6%, 77% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 3.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.3%, 83% of the median. (50 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.7% 2.2% 6.8% 10
2010s 3.1% 1.0% 6.9% 9
2020s 3.2% 3.0% 3.5% 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 147 Spain 3.7% compare
  2. 148 Korea 3.7% compare
  3. 149 Argentina 3.6% compare
  4. 151 Kazakhstan 3.4% compare
  5. 152 Finland 3.3% compare
  6. 153 Australia 3.3% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 3.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 6.9% in 2012.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2014.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 150th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
Is out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-and-youth-of-lower-and-upper-secondary-school-age-both-2/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
179 places, 3,006 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release