Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) (school both) in Germany
Germany: Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) (school both) was 10.17 million in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
10.17 million
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
23rd
of 197 countries
All-time high
11.72 million
in 2001
All-time low
9.74 million
in 2020
Years of data
24
2001–2024
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Germany, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Germany recorded 10.17 million for population of compulsory school age, both sexes in 2024.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Germany peaked at 11.72 million in 2001 and was at its lowest, 9.74 million, in 2020.
That places Germany 23rd out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) (school both) in Germany, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 11.72 million | — |
| 2002 | 11.61 million | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 11.53 million | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 11.46 million | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 11.35 million | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 11.18 million | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 10.98 million | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 10.74 million | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 10.50 million | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 10.25 million | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 10.01 million | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 9.90 million | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 9.80 million | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 9.76 million | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 9.76 million | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 9.87 million | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 9.86 million | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 9.80 million | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 9.77 million | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 9.74 million | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 9.77 million | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 9.84 million | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 10.03 million | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 10.17 million | +1.4% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 10.17 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 607,680, 16.7× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Germany's 10.17 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 855,763, 11.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.23 million | 10.50 million | 11.72 million | 9 |
| 2010s | 9.88 million | 9.76 million | 10.25 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.91 million | 9.74 million | 10.17 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More education data for Germany
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 618,670 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,242 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.27 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.97 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.31 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0396 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Germany?
- Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Germany was 10.17 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 11.72 million in 2001.
- What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.74 million in 2020.
- How does Germany rank for population of compulsory school age, both sexes?
- Germany ranks 23rd out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population of compulsory school age, both sexes rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release