School-age population (pre-primary level) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: School-age population (pre-primary level) was 1.49 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
1.49 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
12th
of 72 countries
All-time high
1.62 million
in 2016
All-time low
1.34 million
in 2006
Years of data
25
2000–2024
School-age population in United Kingdom, 2000–2024
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2024, school-age population in United Kingdom stood at 1.49 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school-age population in United Kingdom peaked at 1.62 million in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1.34 million, in 2006.
United Kingdom ranks 12th of 72 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
School-age population (pre-primary level) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.45 million | — |
| 2001 | 1.45 million | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 1.43 million | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.40 million | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 1.38 million | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 1.35 million | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 1.34 million | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 1.37 million | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 1.41 million | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 1.44 million | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 1.49 million | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 1.53 million | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 1.57 million | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 1.58 million | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 1.60 million | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 1.62 million | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 1.62 million | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 1.59 million | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 1.56 million | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 1.55 million | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 1.53 million | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 1.50 million | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 1.48 million | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.48 million | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 1.49 million | +0.2% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 1.49 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 182,828, 8.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 1.49 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 217,062, 6.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.40 million | 1.34 million | 1.45 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.57 million | 1.49 million | 1.62 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.50 million | 1.48 million | 1.53 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More education data for United Kingdom
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 99.73 (2018)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.93 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school-age population in United Kingdom?
- School-age population in United Kingdom was 1.49 million in 2024, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest school-age population recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 1.62 million in 2016.
- What is the lowest school-age population recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.34 million in 2006.
- 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 down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of School-age population (pre-primary level). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).