Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 61.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in United Kingdom, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in United Kingdom stood at 61.9%. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 30.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in United Kingdom peaked at 95.4% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 61.9%, in 2023.
That places United Kingdom 176th out of 201 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 94.0% | — |
| 1999 | 95.4% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 95.3% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 95.2% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 95.1% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 95.1% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 95.0% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 94.7% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 94.7% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 94.7% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 95.0% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 94.9% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 95.0% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 94.9% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 92.9% | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 89.4% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 86.1% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 82.2% | -4.5% |
| 2016 | 79.6% | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 75.8% | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 71.6% | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 68.1% | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 65.8% | -3.4% |
| 2021 | 64.5% | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 63.2% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 61.9% | -2.1% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 61.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 87.7%, 71% of the median. (73 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 61.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 95.9%, 65% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 94.7% | 94.0% | 95.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 95.0% | 94.7% | 95.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.6% | 68.1% | 95.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.8% | 61.9% | 65.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
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 percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in United Kingdom?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in United Kingdom was 61.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 95.4% in 1999.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.9% in 2023.
- How does United Kingdom rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- United Kingdom ranks 176th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). 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