Average years of schooling in France
France: Average years of schooling was 11.61 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling in France, 1870–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2020, average years of schooling in France stood at 11.61 years.
The figure is down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling in France peaked at 12.46 years in 2010 and was at its lowest, 4.12 years, in 1870.
That places France 44th out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Average years of schooling in France, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 4.12 years | — |
| 1880 | 4.94 years | +19.9% |
| 1890 | 5.79 years | +17.3% |
| 1900 | 6.31 years | +8.9% |
| 1913 | 6.99 years | +10.8% |
| 1925 | 7.68 years | +9.9% |
| 1929 | 7.72 years | +0.5% |
| 1933 | 7.8 years | +1.0% |
| 1938 | 8 years | +2.6% |
| 1950 | 8.12 years | +1.5% |
| 1955 | 8.16 years | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 8.45 years | +3.6% |
| 1965 | 9.1 years | +7.7% |
| 1970 | 10.01 years | +10.0% |
| 1975 | 10.67 years | +6.5% |
| 1980 | 11.06 years | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 11.33 years | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 11.47 years | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 11.65 years | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 11.84 years | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 12.15 years | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 12.46 years | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 11.63 years | -6.7% |
| 2020 | 11.61 years | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 4.12 years | 4.12 years | 4.12 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 4.94 years | 4.94 years | 4.94 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 5.79 years | 5.79 years | 5.79 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 6.31 years | 6.31 years | 6.31 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 6.99 years | 6.99 years | 6.99 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 7.7 years | 7.68 years | 7.72 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 7.9 years | 7.8 years | 8 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 8.14 years | 8.12 years | 8.16 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 8.77 years | 8.45 years | 9.1 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 10.34 years | 10.01 years | 10.67 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 11.19 years | 11.06 years | 11.33 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 11.56 years | 11.47 years | 11.65 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 12 years | 11.84 years | 12.15 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 12.04 years | 11.63 years | 12.46 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 11.61 years | 11.61 years | 11.61 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near France
More education data for France
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 43,533 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.19 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.14 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0602 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling in France?
- Average years of schooling in France was 11.61 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 12.46 years in 2010.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.12 years in 1870.
- How does France rank for average years of schooling?
- France ranks 44th out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is average years of schooling rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average number of years of total schooling (primary, secondary, and tertiary) for the population aged 15 and over.