Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both was 3.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2000–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 3.7%.
The figure is down 14.0% on the previous year and up 76.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 16.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2015.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 174th of 206 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.3% | — |
| 2001 | 14.2% | -12.9% |
| 2002 | 12.0% | -15.5% |
| 2003 | 9.3% | -22.5% |
| 2004 | 6.9% | -25.8% |
| 2005 | 6.2% | -10.1% |
| 2006 | 7.4% | +19.4% |
| 2007 | 8.6% | +16.2% |
| 2008 | 8.9% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 8.1% | -9.0% |
| 2010 | 6.8% | -16.0% |
| 2011 | 5.6% | -17.6% |
| 2012 | 4.4% | -21.4% |
| 2013 | 3.2% | -27.3% |
| 2014 | 2.3% | -28.1% |
| 2015 | 2.1% | -8.7% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | +14.3% |
| 2017 | 3.2% | +33.3% |
| 2018 | 4.0% | +25.0% |
| 2019 | 4.7% | +17.5% |
| 2020 | 5.2% | +10.6% |
| 2021 | 5.2% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4.9% | -5.8% |
| 2023 | 4.6% | -6.1% |
| 2024 | 4.3% | -6.5% |
| 2025 | 3.7% | -14.0% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 3.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.6%, 66% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 3.7% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.6%, 66% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.8% | 6.2% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 2.1% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.6% | 3.7% | 5.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 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)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 3.7% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 16.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2015.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 174th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 76.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (modelled data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release