Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks by country
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education. Most countries have legislation specifying the ages and the level of education (typically pre-primary or primary education) at which children should start school. Such legislation usually also specifies either the number of years of education that are...
Countries reporting
194
Highest
13
Bermuda
Lowest
5
Myanmar
Median
9
Years covered
46
1975–2020
Data points
4,529
What the numbers show
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education guaranteed in legal frameworks is currently reported for 194 countries. The highest value is 13 in Bermuda; the lowest is 5 in Myanmar.
The median across all reporting countries is 9, and the mean is 9.54.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 3.
Over the past decade 38 countries rose and 1 fell. The largest increase was in Tonga (up 116.7%), and the largest decrease in Hungary (down 16.7%).
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bermuda | 13 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Germany | 13 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | North Macedonia | 13 | 2019 | up 44.4% | rising |
| 1 | Tonga | 13 | 2019 | up 116.7% | rising |
| 5 | Argentina | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Armenia | 12 | 2020 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 5 | Austria | 12 | 2020 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 5 | Belgium | 12 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Bahamas | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Brazil | 12 | 2019 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 5 | Chile | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Curaçao | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Dominica | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Dominican Republic | 12 | 2019 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 5 | Ecuador | 12 | 2019 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 5 | Egypt | 12 | 2019 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 5 | France | 12 | 2020 | up 20.0% | flat |
| 5 | Grenada | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Israel | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Italy | 12 | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Kenya | 12 | 2019 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 5 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Mexico | 12 | 2019 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 5 | Marshall Islands | 12 | 2019 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 5 | Mongolia | 12 | 2019 | up 9.1% | rising |
| 5 | Netherlands | 12 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Naoero | 12 | 2019 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 5 | Pakistan | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Philippines | 12 | 2019 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 5 | Palau | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Puerto Rico | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Portugal | 12 | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | Paraguay | 12 | 2019 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 5 | Turkmenistan | 12 | 2020 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 5 | Türkiye | 12 | 2019 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 5 | Uruguay | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 5 | United States of America | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Uzbekistan | 12 | 2020 | up 9.1% | rising |
| 5 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | volatile |
| 5 | British Virgin Islands | 12 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Aruba | 11 | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 42 | Albania | 11 | 2019 | up 37.5% | rising |
| 42 | Andorra | 11 | 2019 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 42 | Antigua and Barbuda | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Burkina Faso | 11 | 2019 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 42 | Barbados | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Colombia | 11 | 2019 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 42 | Costa Rica | 11 | 2019 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 42 | Cayman Islands | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 11 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Honduras | 11 | 2019 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 42 | Sri Lanka | 11 | 2019 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 42 | Monaco | 11 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Republic of Moldova | 11 | 2019 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 42 | Malta | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Mauritius | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 42 | Peru | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | 11 | 2019 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 42 | Russian Federation | 11 | 2020 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 42 | Senegal | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 42 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Ukraine | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 42 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 11 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 66 | Australia | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Central African Republic | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Canada | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Côte d'Ivoire | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Congo | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Cape Verde | 10 | 2019 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 66 | Djibouti | 10 | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 66 | Denmark | 10 | 2020 | up 11.1% | rising |
| 66 | Algeria | 10 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Spain | 10 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Gabon | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Gibraltar | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Hungary | 10 | 2020 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 66 | Ireland | 10 | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 66 | Iceland | 10 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Jordan | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Lebanon | 10 | 2019 | up 11.1% | rising |
| 66 | Saint Lucia | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Lithuania | 10 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Luxembourg | 10 | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 66 | Norway | 10 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | New Zealand | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Oman | 10 | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 66 | Palestine, State of | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Romania | 10 | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 66 | San Marino | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Slovakia | 10 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Seychelles | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 66 | Chad | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 66 | Togo | 10 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Afghanistan | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Azerbaijan | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Bulgaria | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Bahrain | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | volatile |
| 96 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Belarus | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Brunei Darussalam | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | volatile |
| 96 | Switzerland | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | China | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Cuba | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Cyprus | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Czechia | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Estonia | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Finland | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Georgia | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Ghana | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Gambia | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Guinea-Bissau | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Greece | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Guatemala | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Hong Kong, China | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Indonesia | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 9 | 2019 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 96 | Japan | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Kazakhstan | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Kyrgyzstan | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Kiribati | 9 | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 96 | Republic of Korea | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Kuwait | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 9 | 2019 | up 80.0% | rising |
| 96 | Libya | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Latvia | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Macau, China | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Morocco | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Mali | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Montenegro | 9 | 2019 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 96 | Mauritania | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Nigeria | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | volatile |
| 96 | Panama | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Poland | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Qatar | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Saudi Arabia | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Sierra Leone | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | volatile |
| 96 | El Salvador | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Slovenia | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Sweden | 9 | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Syrian Arab Republic | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Thailand | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Tajikistan | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Timor-Leste | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Tunisia | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Tuvalu | 9 | 2019 | up 12.5% | volatile |
| 96 | Viet Nam | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 96 | Yemen | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | South Africa | 9 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 151 | Belize | 8 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 151 | Eritrea | 8 | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 151 | Ethiopia | 8 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 151 | Micronesia, Federated States of | 8 | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 151 | Croatia | 8 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 151 | India | 8 | 2019 | unchanged | volatile |
| 151 | Liechtenstein | 8 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 151 | Malawi | 8 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 151 | Nepal | 8 | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 151 | Sudan | 8 | 2019 | up 33.3% | volatile |
| 151 | Serbia | 8 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 151 | South Sudan | 8 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 151 | Samoa | 8 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 164 | Lesotho | 7 | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 164 | Maldives | 7 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 164 | Namibia | 7 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 164 | Eswatini | 7 | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 164 | Trinidad and Tobago | 7 | 2019 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 164 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 7 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 164 | Uganda | 7 | 2019 | unchanged | volatile |
| 164 | Zambia | 7 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 164 | Zimbabwe | 7 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Angola | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 173 | United Arab Emirates | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Benin | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Cameroon | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Comoros | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 173 | Guinea | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Equatorial Guinea | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 173 | Guyana | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Haiti | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Iraq | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Jamaica | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Liberia | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | volatile |
| 173 | Malaysia | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | volatile |
| 173 | Nicaragua | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Rwanda | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Singapore | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | rising |
| 173 | Sao Tome and Principe | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 173 | Suriname | 6 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Bangladesh | 5 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Madagascar | 5 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 192 | Myanmar | 5 | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
About this data
Number of years of compulsory primary and secondary education. Most countries have legislation specifying the ages and the level of education (typically pre-primary or primary education) at which children should start school. Such legislation usually also specifies either the number of years of education that are guaranteed or the age at which young people may leave education or, in some cases, both. The number of years of primary and secondary education to which children are legally entitled should ideally be the number of grades of primary and secondary education which young people are expected to have completed before being legally eligible to leave school. Years of pre-primary education covered by the legal entitlement should be excluded from this indicator. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/