Compulsory education, duration (years) - Country Ranking
Definition: Duration of compulsory education is the number of years that children are legally obliged to attend school.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/)
See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venezuela | 17.00 | 2020 |
| 2 | Guatemala | 16.00 | 2020 |
| 3 | Ecuador | 15.00 | 2020 |
| 3 | El Salvador | 15.00 | 2020 |
| 3 | Tonga | 15.00 | 2020 |
| 3 | Dominican Republic | 15.00 | 2020 |
| 3 | Israel | 15.00 | 2020 |
| 8 | Bolivia | 14.00 | 2020 |
| 8 | Argentina | 14.00 | 2021 |
| 8 | Brazil | 14.00 | 2020 |
| 8 | Mexico | 14.00 | 2020 |
| 8 | Peru | 14.00 | 2020 |
| 8 | Nauru | 14.00 | 2020 |
| 8 | Uruguay | 14.00 | 2020 |
| 15 | Netherlands | 13.00 | 2021 |
| 15 | Philippines | 13.00 | 2020 |
| 15 | Puerto Rico | 13.00 | 2020 |
| 15 | Paraguay | 13.00 | 2020 |
| 15 | Germany | 13.00 | 2021 |
| 15 | Costa Rica | 13.00 | 2021 |
| 15 | North Macedonia | 13.00 | 2020 |
| 15 | Austria | 13.00 | 2021 |
| 15 | Hungary | 13.00 | 2021 |
| 15 | France | 13.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | Honduras | 12.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | Dominica | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Italy | 12.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | The Bahamas | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Chile | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Cayman Islands | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Armenia | 12.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | Belgium | 12.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Luxembourg | 12.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | Moldova | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Colombia | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | United Arab Emirates | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Egypt | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Grenada | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Kenya | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Dem. People's Rep. Korea | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Mongolia | 12.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | Turkey | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Turkmenistan | 12.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | Uzbekistan | 12.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | Palau | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Portugal | 12.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | United States | 12.00 | 2021 |
| 25 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 25 | Pakistan | 12.00 | 2020 |
| 51 | Ukraine | 11.00 | 2020 |
| 51 | Russia | 11.00 | 2021 |
| 51 | Panama | 11.00 | 2020 |
| 51 | Senegal | 11.00 | 2020 |
| 51 | Mauritius | 11.00 | 2020 |
| 51 | Malta | 11.00 | 2021 |
| 51 | Sri Lanka | 11.00 | 2020 |
| 51 | United Kingdom | 11.00 | 2021 |
| 51 | Switzerland | 11.00 | 2021 |
| 51 | Latvia | 11.00 | 2021 |
| 51 | Lithuania | 11.00 | 2021 |
| 51 | Bulgaria | 11.00 | 2020 |
| 51 | Monaco | 11.00 | 2021 |
| 51 | Barbados | 11.00 | 2020 |
| 51 | Antigua and Barbuda | 11.00 | 2020 |
| 51 | Ghana | 11.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Djibouti | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Spain | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Jordan | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Ireland | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Australia | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Andorra | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Burkina Faso | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Central African Republic | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Côte d'Ivoire | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Congo | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Cabo Verde | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Azerbaijan | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | New Zealand | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Iceland | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | St. Lucia | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Lebanon | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Canada | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Cyprus | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Denmark | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Algeria | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Finland | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Gabon | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Greenland | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Kyrgyz Republic | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Macao SAR, China | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Greece | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Poland | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Romania | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Sweden | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | San Marino | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Oman | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Slovak Republic | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Norway | 10.00 | 2021 |
| 67 | Vietnam | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Chad | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Togo | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 67 | Seychelles | 10.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Syrian Arab Republic | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Tunisia | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Tajikistan | 9.00 | 2021 |
| 104 | Timor-Leste | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Nepal | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Qatar | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Slovenia | 9.00 | 2021 |
| 104 | Sierra Leone | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Thailand | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Yemen | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | South Africa | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Saudi Arabia | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Mali | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Kiribati | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Korea | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Kuwait | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Libya | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | The Gambia | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Guinea-Bissau | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Estonia | 9.00 | 2021 |
| 104 | China | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Lao PDR | 9.00 | 2021 |
| 104 | Liechtenstein | 9.00 | 2021 |
| 104 | Morocco | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Montenegro | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Mauritania | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Afghanistan | 9.00 | 2021 |
| 104 | Nigeria | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Belarus | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Brunei | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Cuba | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Czech Republic | 9.00 | 2021 |
| 104 | Bahrain | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Albania | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Iran | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Indonesia | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Japan | 9.00 | 2020 |
| 104 | Kazakhstan | 9.00 | 2021 |
| 104 | Georgia | 9.00 | 2021 |
| 145 | Belize | 8.00 | 2020 |
| 145 | Ethiopia | 8.00 | 2020 |
| 145 | Eritrea | 8.00 | 2020 |
| 145 | Croatia | 8.00 | 2020 |
| 145 | India | 8.00 | 2020 |
| 145 | Malawi | 8.00 | 2020 |
| 145 | Sudan | 8.00 | 2020 |
| 145 | Serbia | 8.00 | 2020 |
| 145 | Samoa | 8.00 | 2020 |
| 145 | Tuvalu | 8.00 | 2020 |
| 155 | Uganda | 7.00 | 2020 |
| 155 | Trinidad and Tobago | 7.00 | 2020 |
| 155 | Zimbabwe | 7.00 | 2020 |
| 155 | Eswatini | 7.00 | 2020 |
| 155 | Zambia | 7.00 | 2020 |
| 155 | Namibia | 7.00 | 2020 |
| 155 | Nicaragua | 7.00 | 2020 |
| 155 | Tanzania | 7.00 | 2020 |
| 155 | Lesotho | 7.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Liberia | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Malaysia | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Benin | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Angola | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Cameroon | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Suriname | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Iraq | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Jamaica | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Haiti | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Equatorial Guinea | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Guinea | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Guyana | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Dem. Rep. Congo | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Comoros | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | São Tomé and Principe | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Rwanda | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 164 | Singapore | 6.00 | 2020 |
| 181 | Bangladesh | 5.00 | 2020 |
| 181 | Myanmar | 5.00 | 2020 |
| 181 | Madagascar | 5.00 | 2020 |
| 184 | New Caledonia | 0.00 | 2020 |
More rankings: Africa | Asia | Central America & the Caribbean | Europe | Middle East | North America | Oceania | South America | World |
Other Notes: Data retrieved via API in March 2019. For detailed information on the observation level (e.g. National Estimation, UIS Estimation, or Category not applicable), please visit UIS.Stat (http://data.uis.unesco.org/).
Statistical Concept and Methodology: Data on education are collected by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics from official responses to its annual education survey. All the data are mapped to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to ensure the comparability of education programs at the international level. The current version was formally adopted by UNESCO Member States in 2011. Aggregate data are based on World Bank estimates. The reference years reflect the school year for which the data are presented. In some countries the school year spans two calendar years (for example, from September 2010 to June 2011); in these cases the reference year refers to the year in which the school year ended (2011 in the example).
Aggregation method: Median
Periodicity: Annual
