Proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary was 79.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2000–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 79.7% for proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 86.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 79.7%, in 2022.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 6th of 53 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 86.8% | — |
| 2003 | 84.8% | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 80.7% | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 81.3% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 83.1% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 81.9% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 82.5% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 79.7% | -3.4% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 79.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 73.4%, 1.1× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 79.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 71.9%, 1.1× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 83.4% | 80.7% | 86.8% | 4 |
| 2010s | 82.5% | 81.9% | 83.1% | 3 |
| 2020s | 79.7% | 79.7% | 79.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 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)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 79.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 86.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.7% in 2022.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 6th out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
- Is proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Proportion of children/young people at the age of lower secondary education prepared for the future in reading, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release