Average years of schooling among adults in France
France: Average years of schooling among adults was 11.77 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling among adults in France, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for average years of schooling among adults in France is 11.77 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling among adults in France peaked at 11.77 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 7.55 years, in 1990.
That places France 46th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.41 years | 7.55 years | 9.28 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.19 years | 9.47 years | 10.65 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.21 years | 10.78 years | 11.61 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.75 years | 11.69 years | 11.77 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near France
- 43 Uzbekistan 11.91 years compare
- 44 Oman 11.89 years compare
- 45 Moldova 11.83 years compare
- 48 Antigua and Barbuda 11.65 years compare
- 49 Serbia 11.64 years compare
More education data for France
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 61.2% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 16.2% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 11 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 103.4% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 229,471 (2013)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.64 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 103.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling among adults in France?
- Average years of schooling among adults in France was 11.77 years in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling among adults recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 11.77 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling among adults recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.55 years in 1990.
- How does France rank for average years of schooling among adults?
- France ranks 46th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average years of schooling among adults rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.