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Theoretical duration of primary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Theoretical duration of primary education was 6 years in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
6 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
27th
of 218 countries
All-time high
6 years
in 1970
All-time low
6 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025

Theoretical duration of primary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1970–2025

0246197019972025

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.

Analysis

In 2025, theoretical duration of primary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 6 years. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, theoretical duration of primary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 6 years in 1970 and was at its lowest, 6 years, in 1970.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 27th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

Theoretical duration of primary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Year years Change
1970 6 years —
1971 6 years +0.0%
1972 6 years +0.0%
1973 6 years +0.0%
1974 6 years +0.0%
1975 6 years +0.0%
1976 6 years +0.0%
1977 6 years +0.0%
1978 6 years +0.0%
1979 6 years +0.0%
1980 6 years +0.0%
1981 6 years +0.0%
1982 6 years +0.0%
1983 6 years +0.0%
1984 6 years +0.0%
1985 6 years +0.0%
1986 6 years +0.0%
1987 6 years +0.0%
1988 6 years +0.0%
1989 6 years +0.0%
1990 6 years +0.0%
1991 6 years +0.0%
1992 6 years +0.0%
1993 6 years +0.0%
1994 6 years +0.0%
1995 6 years +0.0%
1996 6 years +0.0%
1997 6 years +0.0%
1998 6 years +0.0%
1999 6 years +0.0%
2000 6 years +0.0%
2001 6 years +0.0%
2002 6 years +0.0%
2003 6 years +0.0%
2004 6 years +0.0%
2005 6 years +0.0%
2006 6 years +0.0%
2007 6 years +0.0%
2008 6 years +0.0%
2009 6 years +0.0%
2010 6 years +0.0%
2011 6 years +0.0%
2012 6 years +0.0%
2013 6 years +0.0%
2014 6 years +0.0%
2015 6 years +0.0%
2016 6 years +0.0%
2017 6 years +0.0%
2018 6 years +0.0%
2019 6 years +0.0%
2020 6 years +0.0%
2021 6 years +0.0%
2022 6 years +0.0%
2023 6 years +0.0%
2024 6 years +0.0%
2025 6 years +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6 years 6 years 6 years 10
1980s 6 years 6 years 6 years 10
1990s 6 years 6 years 6 years 10
2000s 6 years 6 years 6 years 10
2010s 6 years 6 years 6 years 10
2020s 6 years 6 years 6 years 6

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 27 Aruba 6 years compare
  2. 27 Afghanistan 6 years compare
  3. 27 Angola 6 years compare
  4. 27 Andorra 6 years compare
  5. 27 Argentina 6 years compare
  6. 27 American Samoa 6 years compare
  7. 27 Burundi 6 years compare
  8. 27 Belgium 6 years compare
  9. 27 Benin 6 years compare
  10. 27 Burkina Faso 6 years compare
  11. 27 Bahrain 6 years compare
  12. 27 Bahamas 6 years compare
  13. 27 Belize 6 years compare
  14. 27 Bermuda 6 years compare
  15. 27 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 6 years compare
  16. 27 Barbados 6 years compare
  17. 27 Brunei Darussalam 6 years compare
  18. 27 Bhutan 6 years compare
  19. 27 Central African Republic 6 years compare
  20. 27 Canada 6 years compare
  21. 27 Switzerland 6 years compare
  22. 27 Chile 6 years compare
  23. 27 China 6 years compare
  24. 27 Côte d'Ivoire 6 years compare
  25. 27 Cameroon 6 years compare
  26. 27 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 6 years compare
  27. 27 Congo 6 years compare
  28. 27 Cape Verde 6 years compare
  29. 27 Costa Rica 6 years compare
  30. 27 Cuba 6 years compare
  31. 27 Curaçao 6 years compare
  32. 27 Cayman Islands 6 years compare
  33. 27 Cyprus 6 years compare
  34. 27 Dominican Republic 6 years compare
  35. 27 Ecuador 6 years compare
  36. 27 Egypt 6 years compare
  37. 27 Spain 6 years compare
  38. 27 Estonia 6 years compare
  39. 27 Ethiopia 6 years compare
  40. 27 Finland 6 years compare
  41. 27 Fiji 6 years compare
  42. 27 Micronesia, Federated States of 6 years compare
  43. 27 Georgia 6 years compare
  44. 27 Ghana 6 years compare
  45. 27 Gibraltar 6 years compare
  46. 27 Guinea 6 years compare
  47. 27 Gambia 6 years compare
  48. 27 Guinea-Bissau 6 years compare
  49. 27 Equatorial Guinea 6 years compare
  50. 27 Greece 6 years compare
  51. 27 Guatemala 6 years compare
  52. 27 Guyana 6 years compare
  53. 27 Hong Kong, China 6 years compare
  54. 27 Honduras 6 years compare
  55. 27 Haiti 6 years compare
  56. 27 Indonesia 6 years compare
  57. 27 Iran, Islamic Republic of 6 years compare
  58. 27 Iraq 6 years compare
  59. 27 Israel 6 years compare
  60. 27 Jamaica 6 years compare
  61. 27 Jordan 6 years compare
  62. 27 Japan 6 years compare
  63. 27 Kenya 6 years compare
  64. 27 Cambodia 6 years compare
  65. 27 Kiribati 6 years compare
  66. 27 Republic of Korea 6 years compare
  67. 27 Lebanon 6 years compare
  68. 27 Liberia 6 years compare
  69. 27 Libya 6 years compare
  70. 27 Luxembourg 6 years compare
  71. 27 Latvia 6 years compare
  72. 27 Macau, China 6 years compare
  73. 27 Morocco 6 years compare
  74. 27 Maldives 6 years compare
  75. 27 Mexico 6 years compare
  76. 27 Marshall Islands 6 years compare
  77. 27 Mali 6 years compare
  78. 27 Malta 6 years compare
  79. 27 Mauritania 6 years compare
  80. 27 Mauritius 6 years compare
  81. 27 Malawi 6 years compare
  82. 27 Malaysia 6 years compare
  83. 27 Niger 6 years compare
  84. 27 Nigeria 6 years compare
  85. 27 Nicaragua 6 years compare
  86. 27 Netherlands 6 years compare
  87. 27 Naoero 6 years compare
  88. 27 New Zealand 6 years compare
  89. 27 Panama 6 years compare
  90. 27 Peru 6 years compare
  91. 27 Philippines 6 years compare
  92. 27 Palau 6 years compare
  93. 27 Papua New Guinea 6 years compare
  94. 27 Puerto Rico 6 years compare
  95. 27 Portugal 6 years compare
  96. 27 Paraguay 6 years compare
  97. 27 Qatar 6 years compare
  98. 27 Rwanda 6 years compare
  99. 27 Saudi Arabia 6 years compare
  100. 27 Sudan 6 years compare
  101. 27 Senegal 6 years compare
  102. 27 Singapore 6 years compare
  103. 27 Solomon Islands 6 years compare
  104. 27 Sierra Leone 6 years compare
  105. 27 El Salvador 6 years compare
  106. 27 South Sudan 6 years compare
  107. 27 Sao Tome and Principe 6 years compare
  108. 27 Suriname 6 years compare
  109. 27 Slovenia 6 years compare
  110. 27 Sweden 6 years compare
  111. 27 Sint Maarten 6 years compare
  112. 27 Seychelles 6 years compare
  113. 27 Syrian Arab Republic 6 years compare
  114. 27 Turks and Caicos Islands 6 years compare
  115. 27 Chad 6 years compare
  116. 27 Togo 6 years compare
  117. 27 Thailand 6 years compare
  118. 27 Timor-Leste 6 years compare
  119. 27 Tonga 6 years compare
  120. 27 Tunisia 6 years compare
  121. 27 Tuvalu 6 years compare
  122. 27 Uruguay 6 years compare
  123. 27 United States of America 6 years compare
  124. 27 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 6 years compare
  125. 27 United States Virgin Islands 6 years compare
  126. 27 Vanuatu 6 years compare
  127. 27 Samoa 6 years compare
  128. 27 Yemen 6 years compare

See the full ranking of 224 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 theoretical duration of primary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Theoretical duration of primary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 6 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest theoretical duration of primary education recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.
What is the lowest theoretical duration of primary education recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for theoretical duration of primary education?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 27th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
Is theoretical duration of primary education rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Theoretical duration of primary education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Theoretical duration of primary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/theoretical-duration-of-primary-education-years/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Theoretical duration of primary education (years)
Unit
years
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
224 places, 12,152 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release