Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 14.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1990–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 14.2% for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in 2024.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 29.2% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 13.7%, in 2019.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 63rd out of 110 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 17.7% | — |
| 1991 | 17.5% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 19.6% | +11.7% |
| 1993 | 17.5% | -10.7% |
| 1994 | 18.1% | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 26.0% | +43.8% |
| 2000 | 27.7% | +6.3% |
| 2001 | 28.3% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 28.8% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 28.1% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 29.2% | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 15.6% | -46.5% |
| 2006 | 15.4% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 15.2% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 15.3% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 15.8% | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 15.8% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 15.3% | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 15.2% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 15.2% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 15.0% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 14.5% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 14.2% | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 14.0% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 13.8% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 13.7% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 14.2% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 14.9% | +5.4% |
| 2022 | 14.6% | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 14.5% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 14.2% | -1.8% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 14.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 17.9%, 79% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 14.2% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.7%, 85% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | -46.5% | 29.2% | 15.6% |
| 1999 | +43.8% | 18.1% | 26.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.4% | 17.5% | 26.0% | 6 |
| 2000s | 21.9% | 15.2% | 29.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.7% | 13.7% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.5% | 14.2% | 14.9% | 5 |
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 participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 14.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 29.2% in 2004.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.7% in 2019.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 63rd out of 110 countries with data for 2024.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. 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 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-64 years old, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release