Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled was 6.40 million in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
6.40 million
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
20th
of 206 countries
All-time high
6.56 million
in 2014
All-time low
4.15 million
in 1971
Years of data
53
1971–2023

Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2023

02.0M4.0M6.0M197119972023

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 6.40 million for secondary education, pupils, gaps filled in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, secondary education, pupils, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 6.56 million in 2014 and was at its lowest, 4.15 million, in 1971.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 20th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.

Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1971 4.15 million
1972 4.28 million +3.1%
1973 4.42 million +3.4%
1974 4.83 million +9.1%
1975 4.99 million +3.3%
1976 5.15 million +3.3%
1977 5.29 million +2.5%
1978 5.34 million +1.1%
1979 5.38 million +0.7%
1980 5.36 million -0.4%
1981 5.34 million -0.3%
1982 5.33 million -0.2%
1983 5.30 million -0.6%
1984 5.17 million -2.3%
1985 5.02 million -2.9%
1986 4.88 million -2.9%
1987 4.69 million -3.9%
1988 4.51 million -3.8%
1989 4.37 million -3.2%
1990 4.28 million -1.9%
1991 4.34 million +1.2%
1992 4.43 million +2.3%
1993 4.87 million +9.8%
1994 4.94 million +1.4%
1995 4.99 million +1.0%
1996 5.00 million +0.3%
1997 4.98 million -0.5%
1998 5.01 million +0.7%
1999 5.20 million +3.8%
2000 5.31 million +2.2%
2001 5.38 million +1.2%
2002 5.52 million +2.6%
2003 5.54 million +0.4%
2004 5.71 million +3.1%
2005 5.76 million +0.8%
2006 5.36 million -7.0%
2007 5.31 million -1.0%
2008 5.36 million +0.9%
2009 5.43 million +1.4%
2010 5.54 million +2.0%
2011 5.00 million -9.7%
2012 4.85 million -3.0%
2013 6.50 million +34.0%
2014 6.56 million +0.9%
2015 6.37 million -2.8%
2016 6.38 million +0.1%
2017 6.39 million +0.1%
2018 6.17 million -3.3%
2019 6.14 million -0.6%
2020 6.13 million -0.1%
2021 6.20 million +1.1%
2022 6.30 million +1.6%
2023 6.40 million +1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.87 million 4.15 million 5.38 million 9
1980s 5.00 million 4.37 million 5.36 million 10
1990s 4.80 million 4.28 million 5.20 million 10
2000s 5.47 million 5.31 million 5.76 million 10
2010s 5.99 million 4.85 million 6.56 million 10
2020s 6.26 million 6.13 million 6.40 million 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 17 Kenya 6.74 million compare
  2. 18 Iran, Islamic Republic of 6.62 million compare
  3. 19 Japan 6.61 million compare
  4. 21 France 6.27 million compare
  5. 22 Algeria 6.07 million compare
  6. 23 South Africa 5.50 million compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is secondary education, pupils, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 6.40 million in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest secondary education, pupils, gaps filled recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 6.56 million in 2014.
What is the lowest secondary education, pupils, gaps filled recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 4.15 million in 1971.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for secondary education, pupils, gaps filled?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 20th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
Is secondary education, pupils, gaps filled rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/secondary-education-pupils-gaps-filled/united-kingdom/

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How this figure is calculated

Secondary education, pupils with 698 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
251 places, 10,723 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Secondary education, pupils with 698 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.