Primary education, duration (years) in OECD members
OECD members: Primary education, duration (years) was 6 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
6 years
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
2nd
of 46 groups
All-time high
6 years
in 1970
All-time low
6 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Primary education, duration in OECD members, 1970–2025
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary education, duration in OECD members is 6 years, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, duration in OECD members peaked at 6 years in 1970 and was at its lowest, 6 years, in 1970.
That places OECD members 2nd out of 46 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Primary education, duration (years) in OECD members, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6 years | — |
| 1971 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 6 years | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 1 Guam 8 years compare
- 1 Ireland 8 years compare
- 3 Antigua and Barbuda 7 years compare
- 3 Australia 7 years compare
- 3 Botswana 7 years compare
- 3 British Virgin Islands 7 years compare
- 3 Denmark 7 years compare
- 3 Dominica 7 years compare
- 3 Eswatini 7 years compare
- 3 Grenada 7 years compare
- 3 Iceland 7 years compare
- 3 Lesotho 7 years compare
- 3 Mozambique 7 years compare
- 3 Namibia 7 years compare
- 3 Norway 7 years compare
- 3 South Africa 7 years compare
- 3 Saint Kitts and Nevis 7 years compare
- 3 Saint Lucia 7 years compare
- 3 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7 years compare
- 3 Tanzania 7 years compare
- 3 Trinidad and Tobago 7 years compare
- 3 Uganda 7 years compare
- 3 Zambia 7 years compare
- 3 Zimbabwe 7 years compare
More education data for OECD members
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91.38 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 116.41 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0654 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 6.28 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.2049 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, per capita 0.0833 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, duration in OECD members?
- Primary education, duration in OECD members was 6 years in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, duration recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.
- What is the lowest primary education, duration recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.
- How does OECD members rank for primary education, duration?
- OECD members ranks 2nd out of 46 groups with data for 2025.
- Is primary education, duration rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this OECD members data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, duration (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Primary duration refers to the number of grades (years) in primary school.