Share of children who have completed primary school in Norway
Norway: Share of children who have completed primary school was 99.8% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Share of children who have completed primary school in Norway, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of children who have completed primary school in Norway stood at 99.8%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who have completed primary school in Norway peaked at 99.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 99.7%, in 1981.
Norway ranks 23rd of 165 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Share of children who have completed primary school in Norway, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 99.7% | — |
| 1982 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 99.7% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 99.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 99.8% | +0.0% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 99.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 99.6%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Norway's 99.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 99.6%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | 9 |
| 1990s | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 99.7% | 99.7% | 99.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 20 Belarus 99.8% compare
- 20 Georgia 99.8% compare
- 20 Netherlands 99.8% compare
- 23 Bosnia and Herzegovina 99.8% compare
- 25 Croatia 99.8% compare
- 25 Switzerland 99.8% compare
More education data for Norway
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 59,473 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (1993)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,282 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 80,636 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 469,508 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 434,422 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.7841 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.078 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who have completed primary school in Norway?
- Share of children who have completed primary school in Norway was 99.8% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 99.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of children who have completed primary school recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 99.7% in 1981.
- How does Norway rank for share of children who have completed primary school?
- Norway ranks 23rd out of 165 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of children who have completed primary school rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who have completed primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of children who are three to five years older than the official age for the last grade of primary education who have successfully completed it. This broader age band is used to include children who started school late or had to resit particular years.