Theoretical duration of primary education in years by country
Countries reporting
73
Highest
8
Ireland
Lowest
4
Republic of Moldova
Median
5
Years covered
56
1970–2025
Data points
4,058
What the numbers show
Theoretical duration of primary education in years is currently reported for 73 countries. The highest value is 8 in Ireland; the lowest is 4 in Republic of Moldova.
The median across all reporting countries is 5, and the mean is 5.22.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 2.
Theoretical duration of primary education in years: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ireland | 8 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Iceland | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Denmark | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Norway | 7 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Malta | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Greece | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Iran | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Iraq | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Jordan | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Lebanon | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Libya | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Luxembourg | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Latvia | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Morocco | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Andorra | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Netherlands | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Portugal | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Qatar | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Saudi Arabia | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Sudan | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Slovenia | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Sweden | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Syrian Arab Republic | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 5 | Tunisia | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Yemen | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Georgia | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Cyprus | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Egypt | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Switzerland | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Bahrain | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Spain | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Estonia | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Finland | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Belgium | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 6 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 36 | Romania | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 36 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 36 | San Marino | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 36 | Montenegro | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 36 | Albania | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 36 | North Macedonia | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 36 | Monaco | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 36 | Czechia | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 36 | Djibouti | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 36 | France | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 36 | Liechtenstein | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 36 | Algeria | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 36 | Kuwait | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 36 | Italy | 5 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Slovak Republic | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Croatia | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Azerbaijan | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 50 | Austria | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Armenia | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 50 | Tajikistan | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Turkmenistan | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 50 | United Arab Emirates | 4 | 2025 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 50 | Türkiye | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 50 | Ukraine | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 50 | Uzbekistan | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 50 | Germany | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Serbia | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Hungary | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Bulgaria | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Russia | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 50 | Kazakhstan | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 50 | Palestine, State of | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Kyrgyzstan | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 50 | Poland | 4 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 50 | Oman | 4 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 50 | Belarus | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 50 | Lithuania | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Republic of Moldova | 4 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |