Share of children in primary school age who are in school in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 99.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in United Kingdom, 1820–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 99.9% for share of children in primary school age who are in school in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in United Kingdom peaked at 100.0% in 1905 and was at its lowest, 13.3%, in 1820.
United Kingdom ranks 7th of 209 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 57 years of available data.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 13.3% | — |
| 1825 | 14.8% | +10.9% |
| 1830 | 16.4% | +10.7% |
| 1835 | 18.1% | +10.5% |
| 1840 | 20.0% | +10.3% |
| 1845 | 22.0% | +10.0% |
| 1850 | 24.1% | +9.7% |
| 1855 | 26.4% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 28.8% | +9.2% |
| 1865 | 24.4% | -15.2% |
| 1870 | 39.0% | +59.6% |
| 1875 | 49.8% | +27.7% |
| 1880 | 77.2% | +55.1% |
| 1885 | 77.1% | -0.2% |
| 1890 | 93.0% | +20.8% |
| 1895 | 95.6% | +2.7% |
| 1900 | 97.8% | +2.3% |
| 1905 | 100.0% | +2.2% |
| 1910 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 92.4% | -7.6% |
| 1945 | 84.7% | -8.3% |
| 1950 | 100.0% | +18.0% |
| 1955 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 86.7% | -13.3% |
| 1965 | 86.7% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 98.0% | +13.0% |
| 1975 | 98.0% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 96.0% | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 99.9% | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 100.0% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 99.4% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 99.9% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 99.0% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 97.6% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 99.6% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 99.2% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 99.4% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 98.9% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 98.1% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 98.1% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 98.3% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 98.5% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 98.7% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 99.2% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 99.7% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 99.9% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 100.0% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 99.9% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 99.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 98.2%, 1.0× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 99.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 98.6%, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of children in primary school age who are in school in United Kingdom 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | +59.6% | 24.4% | 39.0% |
| 1880 | +55.1% | 49.8% | 77.2% |
| 1875 | +27.7% | 39.0% | 49.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 14.1% | 13.3% | 14.8% | 2 |
| 1830s | 17.2% | 16.4% | 18.1% | 2 |
| 1840s | 21.0% | 20.0% | 22.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 25.2% | 24.1% | 26.4% | 2 |
| 1860s | 26.6% | 24.4% | 28.8% | 2 |
| 1870s | 44.4% | 39.0% | 49.8% | 2 |
| 1880s | 77.2% | 77.1% | 77.2% | 2 |
| 1890s | 94.3% | 93.0% | 95.6% | 2 |
| 1900s | 98.9% | 97.8% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1910s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1920s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1930s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1940s | 88.6% | 84.7% | 92.4% | 2 |
| 1950s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 86.7% | 86.7% | 86.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 98.0% | 98.0% | 98.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 96.0% | 96.0% | 96.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.5% | 97.6% | 100.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.9% | 98.1% | 99.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.9% | 99.9% | 100.0% | 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 share of children in primary school age who are in school in United Kingdom?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in United Kingdom was 99.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1905.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.3% in 1820.
- How does United Kingdom rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- United Kingdom ranks 7th out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.