School-age population in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: School-age population was 2.53 million in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
2.53 million
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
12th
of 72 countries
All-time high
2.53 million
in 2024
All-time low
2.09 million
in 2014
Years of data
25
2000–2024

School-age population in United Kingdom, 2000–2024

01.0M2.0M3.0M2000201220242000: 2.3M2001: 2.3M2002: 2.3M2003: 2.4M2004: 2.4M2005: 2.3M2006: 2.3M2007: 2.3M2008: 2.3M2009: 2.3M2010: 2.2M2011: 2.2M2012: 2.2M2013: 2.1M2014: 2.1M2015: 2.1M2016: 2.2M2017: 2.2M2018: 2.3M2019: 2.3M2020: 2.4M2021: 2.4M2022: 2.4M2023: 2.5M2024: 2.5M

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

The most recent figure for school-age population in United Kingdom is 2.53 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 21.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school-age population in United Kingdom peaked at 2.53 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.09 million, in 2014.

United Kingdom ranks 12th of 72 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.31 million 2.25 million 2.35 million 10
2010s 2.19 million 2.09 million 2.32 million 10
2020s 2.45 million 2.37 million 2.53 million 5

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 9 Iraq 3.39 million compare
  2. 10 Uzbekistan 3.20 million compare
  3. 11 Yemen 2.74 million compare
  4. 13 Ukraine 2.22 million compare
  5. 14 Morocco 2.03 million compare
  6. 15 Kazakhstan 1.92 million compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More education data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is school-age population in United Kingdom?
School-age population in United Kingdom was 2.53 million in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest school-age population recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 2.53 million in 2024.
What is the lowest school-age population recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 2.09 million in 2014.
How does United Kingdom rank for school-age population?
United Kingdom ranks 12th out of 72 countries with data for 2024.
Is school-age population rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of School-age population (lower secondary level). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School-age population in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-lower-secondary-level/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
School-age population (lower secondary level)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
72 places, 2,937 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed