howmuchworld

Home › Indicators › Age of entry into primary school

Age of entry into primary school

What this indicator measures

This is the official age at which children start primary school, according to each country's regulations (source: UNESCO). In most countries, schooling becomes compulsory at that point.

How to read this?

The number shows the age, in years, at which a child officially enters primary school.

Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest

Ctrl + scroll: zoom · drag: pan
207countries with data
7 yrsmaximum · Afghanistan
6 yrsmedian
5 yrsminimum · Samoa
2025data year(s)

In brief

The "Age of entry into primary school" ranking covers 207 countries and territories. Lowest value: Samoa (5 yrs). Highest value: Afghanistan (7 yrs). Median: 6 yrs (data: 2025). The top 10% of countries exceed 7 yrs, while the bottom 10% stay below 5 yrs. By continent, the median is highest in Asia (6 yrs) and lowest in South America (6 yrs).

Median by continent

Lower Higher
  • Asia 6 yrs (48)
  • Europe 6 yrs (43)
  • Africa 6 yrs (51)
  • North America 6 yrs (32)
  • Oceania 6 yrs (18)
  • South America 6 yrs (12)

Why this indicator matters

The age of entry into primary school marks the official start of children's schooling. Comparing it shows when each education system takes charge of the youngest children.

What makes this indicator vary

This age depends on the history of the school system, the organisation of early childhood and each state's choices. It can change with education reforms, sometimes to bring school closer to families' needs.

Reading precautions

This is the official age set by regulations, not the actual age at which each child starts. Delays, exemptions or regional differences exist, and the data depend on the reports sent to UNESCO.

Full ranking

ranked from highest to lowest

RankCountryValueYear
1er🇦🇫 Afghanistan7 yrs2025
1er🇧🇬 Bulgaria7 yrs2025
1er🇪🇪 Estonia7 yrs2025
1er🇪🇹 Ethiopia7 yrs2025
1er🇫🇮 Finland7 yrs2025
1er🇬🇳 Guinea7 yrs2025
1er🇬🇲 Gambia7 yrs2025
1er🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea7 yrs2025
1er🇬🇹 Guatemala7 yrs2025
1er🇭🇷 Croatia7 yrs2025
1er🇭🇺 Hungary7 yrs2025
1er🇮🇩 Indonesia7 yrs2025
1er🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan7 yrs2025
1er🇱🇮 Liechtenstein7 yrs2025
1er🇱🇹 Lithuania7 yrs2025
1er🇱🇻 Latvia7 yrs2025
1er🇲🇩 Moldova7 yrs2025
1er🇲🇱 Mali7 yrs2025
1er🇳🇦 Namibia7 yrs2025
1er🇳🇪 Niger7 yrs2025
1er🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea7 yrs2025
1er🇵🇱 Poland7 yrs2025
1er🇰🇵 North Korea7 yrs2025
1er🇷🇺 Russia7 yrs2025
1er🇸🇻 El Salvador7 yrs2025
1er🇷🇸 Serbia7 yrs2025
1er🇸🇪 Sweden7 yrs2025
1er🇹🇯 Tajikistan7 yrs2025
1er🇹🇿 Tanzania7 yrs2025
1er🇺🇿 Uzbekistan7 yrs2025
1er🇿🇦 South Africa7 yrs2025
1er🇿🇲 Zambia7 yrs2025
33e🇦🇼 Aruba6 yrs2025
33e🇦🇴 Angola6 yrs2025
33e🇦🇱 Albania6 yrs2025
33e🇦🇩 Andorra6 yrs2025
33e🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates6 yrs2025
33e🇦🇷 Argentina6 yrs2025
33e🇦🇲 Armenia6 yrs2025
33e🇦🇸 American Samoa6 yrs2025
33e🇦🇹 Austria6 yrs2025
33e🇦🇿 Azerbaijan6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇮 Burundi6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇪 Belgium6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇯 Benin6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇫 Burkina Faso6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇩 Bangladesh6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇭 Bahrain6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇾 Belarus6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇴 Bolivia6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇷 Brazil6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇳 Brunei6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇹 Bhutan6 yrs2025
33e🇧🇼 Botswana6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇫 Central African Republic6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇦 Canada6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇭 Switzerland6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇱 Chile6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇳 China6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇲 Cameroon6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇴 Colombia6 yrs2025
33e🇰🇲 Comoros6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇻 Cape Verde6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇷 Costa Rica6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇺 Cuba6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇼 Curaçao6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇾 Cyprus6 yrs2025
33e🇨🇿 Czechia6 yrs2025
33e🇩🇪 Germany6 yrs2025
33e🇩🇯 Djibouti6 yrs2025
33e🇩🇰 Denmark6 yrs2025
33e🇩🇴 Dominican Republic6 yrs2025
33e🇩🇿 Algeria6 yrs2025
33e🇪🇨 Ecuador6 yrs2025
33e🇪🇬 Egypt6 yrs2025
33e🇪🇷 Eritrea6 yrs2025
33e🇪🇸 Spain6 yrs2025
33e🇫🇯 Fiji6 yrs2025
33e🇫🇷 France6 yrs2025
33e🇫🇲 Micronesia6 yrs2025
33e🇬🇦 Gabon6 yrs2025
33e🇬🇪 Georgia6 yrs2025
33e🇬🇭 Ghana6 yrs2025
33e🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau6 yrs2025
33e🇬🇷 Greece6 yrs2025
33e🇬🇺 Guam6 yrs2025
33e🇬🇾 Guyana6 yrs2025
33e🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China6 yrs2025
33e🇭🇳 Honduras6 yrs2025
33e🇭🇹 Haiti6 yrs2025
33e🇮🇳 India6 yrs2025
33e🇮🇷 Iran6 yrs2025
33e🇮🇶 Iraq6 yrs2025
33e🇮🇸 Iceland6 yrs2025
33e🇮🇱 Israel6 yrs2025
33e🇮🇹 Italy6 yrs2025
33e🇯🇲 Jamaica6 yrs2025
33e🇯🇴 Jordan6 yrs2025
33e🇯🇵 Japan6 yrs2025
33e🇰🇿 Kazakhstan6 yrs2025
33e🇰🇪 Kenya6 yrs2025
33e🇰🇭 Cambodia6 yrs2025
33e🇰🇮 Kiribati6 yrs2025
33e🇰🇷 South Korea6 yrs2025
33e🇰🇼 Kuwait6 yrs2025
33e🇱🇦 Laos6 yrs2025
33e🇱🇧 Lebanon6 yrs2025
33e🇱🇷 Liberia6 yrs2025
33e🇱🇾 Libya6 yrs2025
33e🇱🇸 Lesotho6 yrs2025
33e🇱🇺 Luxembourg6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇴 Macao SAR China6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇦 Morocco6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇨 Monaco6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇬 Madagascar6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇻 Maldives6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇽 Mexico6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇭 Marshall Islands6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇰 North Macedonia6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇪 Montenegro6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇳 Mongolia6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇿 Mozambique6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇷 Mauritania6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇼 Malawi6 yrs2025
33e🇲🇾 Malaysia6 yrs2025
33e🇳🇨 New Caledonia6 yrs2025
33e🇳🇬 Nigeria6 yrs2025
33e🇳🇮 Nicaragua6 yrs2025
33e🇳🇱 Netherlands6 yrs2025
33e🇳🇴 Norway6 yrs2025
33e🇳🇷 Nauru6 yrs2025
33e🇴🇲 Oman6 yrs2025
33e🇵🇦 Panama6 yrs2025
33e🇵🇪 Peru6 yrs2025
33e🇵🇭 Philippines6 yrs2025
33e🇵🇼 Palau6 yrs2025
33e🇵🇷 Puerto Rico6 yrs2025
33e🇵🇹 Portugal6 yrs2025
33e🇵🇾 Paraguay6 yrs2025
33e🇵🇫 French Polynesia6 yrs2025
33e🇶🇦 Qatar6 yrs2025
33e🇷🇴 Romania6 yrs2025
33e🇷🇼 Rwanda6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇩 Sudan6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇳 Senegal6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇬 Singapore6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇧 Solomon Islands6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇱 Sierra Leone6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇲 San Marino6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇴 Somalia6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇷 Suriname6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇰 Slovakia6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇮 Slovenia6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇿 Eswatini6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇽 Sint Maarten6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇨 Seychelles6 yrs2025
33e🇸🇾 Syria6 yrs2025
33e🇹🇨 Turks & Caicos Islands6 yrs2025
33e🇹🇩 Chad6 yrs2025
33e🇹🇬 Togo6 yrs2025
33e🇹🇭 Thailand6 yrs2025
33e🇹🇲 Turkmenistan6 yrs2025
33e🇹🇱 Timor-Leste6 yrs2025
33e🇹🇴 Tonga6 yrs2025
33e🇹🇳 Tunisia6 yrs2025
33e🇹🇷 Türkiye6 yrs2025
33e🇹🇻 Tuvalu6 yrs2025
33e🇺🇬 Uganda6 yrs2025
33e🇺🇦 Ukraine6 yrs2025
33e🇺🇾 Uruguay6 yrs2025
33e🇺🇸 United States6 yrs2025
33e🇻🇪 Venezuela6 yrs2025
33e🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands6 yrs2025
33e🇻🇳 Vietnam6 yrs2025
33e🇻🇺 Vanuatu6 yrs2025
33e🇾🇪 Yemen6 yrs2025
33e🇿🇼 Zimbabwe6 yrs2025
184e🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda5 yrs2025
184e🇦🇺 Australia5 yrs2025
184e🇧🇸 Bahamas5 yrs2025
184e🇧🇿 Belize5 yrs2025
184e🇧🇲 Bermuda5 yrs2025
184e🇧🇧 Barbados5 yrs2025
184e🇰🇾 Cayman Islands5 yrs2025
184e🇩🇲 Dominica5 yrs2025
184e🇬🇧 United Kingdom5 yrs2025
184e🇬🇩 Grenada5 yrs2025
184e🇮🇪 Ireland5 yrs2025
184e🇰🇳 St. Kitts & Nevis5 yrs2025
184e🇱🇨 St. Lucia5 yrs2025
184e🇱🇰 Sri Lanka5 yrs2025
184e🇲🇹 Malta5 yrs2025
184e🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma)5 yrs2025
184e🇲🇺 Mauritius5 yrs2025
184e🇳🇵 Nepal5 yrs2025
184e🇳🇿 New Zealand5 yrs2025
184e🇵🇰 Pakistan5 yrs2025
184e🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago5 yrs2025
184e🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines5 yrs2025
184e🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands5 yrs2025
184e🇼🇸 Samoa5 yrs2025

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest value for "Age of entry into primary school"?

The highest value is in Afghanistan, at 7 yrs (2025).

Which country has the lowest value for "Age of entry into primary school"?

The lowest value is in Samoa, at 5 yrs (2025).

What is the world median value of "Age of entry into primary school"?

The world median is 6 yrs, calculated across 207 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.

What is the value of "Age of entry into primary school" for France?

France scores 6 yrs (2025), ranking 33 out of 207 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).

Where does the "Age of entry into primary school" data come from?

It comes from Banque mondiale – Âge officiel d'entrée à l'école primaire (années) (SE.PRM.AGES). Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.

What does the age of entry into primary school measure?

It is the official age, in years, at which a child must or may start primary school under national regulations. It shows the starting point of the school journey.

Is this age the same as the age at which schooling becomes compulsory?

Not always. In many systems the two coincide, but compulsory schooling may begin earlier or later than entry into primary school. The two indicators should therefore be read together.

Source and update

Source : Banque mondiale – Âge officiel d'entrée à l'école primaire (années) (SE.PRM.AGES). Site last updated: November 8, 2026.

Indicators in the same category : Civic duties