Share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in was 56.1% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
56.1%
Change on year
up 5.2%
World rank
145th
of 179 countries
All-time high
82.8%
in 2011
All-time low
46.9%
in 2016
Years of data
21
1998–2018

Share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998–2018

0204060801998200820181998: 76.1 %1999: 65.8 %2000: 65 %2001: 65.5 %2002: 64 %2003: 66.6 %2004: 61.4 %2005: 60.6 %2006: 68.2 %2007: 67.9 %2008: 76.4 %2009: 77.5 %2010: 76.2 %2011: 82.8 %2012: 81.9 %2013: 56.2 %2014: 57.3 %2015: 59.9 %2016: 46.9 %2017: 53.4 %2018: 56.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 56.1%, measured in 2018.

The figure is up 5.2% on the previous year and down 26.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 82.8% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 46.9%, in 2016.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 145th out of 179 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.

Share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in general programmes (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998 to 2018.
Year % Change
1998 76.1%
1999 65.8% -13.5%
2000 65.0% -1.3%
2001 65.5% +0.9%
2002 64.0% -2.3%
2003 66.6% +4.0%
2004 61.4% -7.9%
2005 60.6% -1.3%
2006 68.2% +12.7%
2007 67.9% -0.5%
2008 76.4% +12.5%
2009 77.5% +1.4%
2010 76.2% -1.6%
2011 82.8% +8.7%
2012 81.9% -1.1%
2013 56.2% -31.4%
2014 57.3% +1.9%
2015 59.9% +4.5%
2016 46.9% -21.8%
2017 53.4% +13.9%
2018 56.1% +5.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 71.0% 65.8% 76.1% 2
2000s 67.3% 60.6% 77.5% 10
2010s 63.4% 46.9% 82.8% 9

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 142 Kazakhstan 58.4% compare
  2. 143 Belarus 58.3% compare
  3. 144 El Salvador 57.0% compare
  4. 146 Indonesia 56.1% compare
  5. 147 Ethiopia 55.7% compare
  6. 148 Panama 55.2% compare

See the full ranking of 224 places →

More reference data 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 share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 56.1% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 82.8% in 2011.
What is the lowest share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 46.9% in 2016.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 145th out of 179 countries with data for 2018.
Is share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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 Share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in general programmes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-all-students-in-upper-secondary-education-enrolled-in-general-programmes-percent/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in general programmes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
224 places, 3,926 data points, 1997–2020
Last refreshed

Total number of students enrolled in general programmes at the upper secondary education level, expressed as a percentage of the total number of students enrolled in all programmes (vocational and general) at the upper secondary level. General education is designed to develop learners’ general knowledge, skills and competencies and literacy and numeracy skills, often to prepare students for more advanced educational programmes at the same or higher ISCED levels and to lay the foundation for lifelong learning. General educational programmes are typically school- or college-based. General education includes educational programmes that are designed to prepare students for entry into vocational education, but that do not prepare for employment in a particular occupation or trade or class of occupations or trades, nor lead directly to a labour market relevant qualification.