Primary education, pupils in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Primary education, pupils was 4.86 million in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
4.86 million
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
32nd
of 206 countries
All-time high
5.89 million
in 1973
All-time low
4.28 million
in 1985
Years of data
48
1971–2023
Primary education, pupils in United Kingdom, 1971–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary education, pupils in United Kingdom is 4.86 million, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in United Kingdom peaked at 5.89 million in 1973 and was at its lowest, 4.28 million, in 1985.
That places United Kingdom 32nd out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 48 years of available data.
Primary education, pupils in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 5.81 million | — |
| 1972 | 5.88 million | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 5.89 million | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 5.88 million | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 5.81 million | -1.1% |
| 1976 | 5.73 million | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 5.64 million | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 5.50 million | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 5.33 million | -3.1% |
| 1980 | 5.13 million | -3.6% |
| 1981 | 4.91 million | -4.3% |
| 1982 | 4.69 million | -4.5% |
| 1983 | 4.47 million | -4.6% |
| 1984 | 4.37 million | -2.4% |
| 1985 | 4.28 million | -2.1% |
| 1986 | 4.30 million | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 4.32 million | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 4.37 million | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 4.41 million | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 4.49 million | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 4.53 million | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 4.56 million | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 4.66 million | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 4.66 million | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 4.63 million | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 4.60 million | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 4.54 million | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 4.49 million | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 4.69 million | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 4.63 million | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 4.52 million | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 4.41 million | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 4.47 million | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 4.42 million | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 4.42 million | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 4.42 million | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 4.52 million | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 4.62 million | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 4.51 million | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 4.62 million | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 4.72 million | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 4.82 million | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 4.89 million | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 4.92 million | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 4.90 million | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 4.87 million | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 4.87 million | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 4.86 million | -0.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 4.86 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 236,668, 20.6× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 4.86 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 432,238, 11.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.72 million | 5.33 million | 5.89 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 4.53 million | 4.28 million | 5.13 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.58 million | 4.49 million | 4.66 million | 5 |
| 2000s | 4.54 million | 4.41 million | 4.69 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.65 million | 4.42 million | 4.92 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.88 million | 4.86 million | 4.90 million | 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 primary education, pupils in United Kingdom?
- Primary education, pupils in United Kingdom was 4.86 million in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 5.89 million in 1973.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.28 million in 1985.
- How does United Kingdom rank for primary education, pupils?
- United Kingdom ranks 32nd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.