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Duration of compulsory schooling

What this indicator measures

This is the number of years during which children are legally required to attend school, from entry into primary school to the end of compulsory schooling. This duration is set by each country's law; it does not say how many children actually attend school.

How to read this?

A higher number means the law requires children to stay in school for longer.

Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest

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194countries with data
17 yrsmaximum · Venezuela
10 yrsmedian
0 yrsminimum · New Caledonia
2025data year(s)

In brief

The "Duration of compulsory schooling" ranking covers 194 countries and territories. Lowest value: New Caledonia (0 yrs). Highest value: Venezuela (17 yrs). Median: 10 yrs (data: 2025). The top 10% of countries exceed 13 yrs, while the bottom 10% stay below 6 yrs. By continent, the median is highest in South America (14 yrs) and lowest in Africa (9 yrs).

Median by continent

Lower Higher
  • South America 14 yrs (12)
  • North America 12 yrs (31)
  • Europe 11 yrs (43)
  • Oceania 10 yrs (12)
  • Asia 9 yrs (46)
  • Africa 9 yrs (47)

Why this indicator matters

The duration of compulsory schooling shows how many years the law requires children to attend school. It gives an idea of the minimum level of education each state guarantees.

What makes this indicator vary

This duration results from political choices, the history of the education system and available resources. It is often extended by reforms aimed at delaying school leaving or entry into work.

Reading precautions

This is a duration set by law. It does not say how many children actually attend school or how many complete their studies. Differences exist between regions or types of schools.

Full ranking

ranked from highest to lowest

RankCountryValueYear
1er🇻🇪 Venezuela17 yrs2025
2e🇬🇹 Guatemala16 yrs2025
3e🇩🇴 Dominican Republic15 yrs2025
3e🇪🇨 Ecuador15 yrs2025
3e🇮🇱 Israel15 yrs2025
3e🇸🇻 El Salvador15 yrs2025
3e🇹🇴 Tonga15 yrs2025
8e🇦🇷 Argentina14 yrs2025
8e🇧🇴 Bolivia14 yrs2025
8e🇧🇷 Brazil14 yrs2025
8e🇨🇼 Curaçao14 yrs2025
8e🇲🇽 Mexico14 yrs2025
8e🇳🇷 Nauru14 yrs2025
8e🇵🇪 Peru14 yrs2025
8e🇸🇽 Sint Maarten14 yrs2025
8e🇺🇾 Uruguay14 yrs2025
17e🇦🇼 Aruba13 yrs2025
17e🇦🇹 Austria13 yrs2025
17e🇧🇪 Belgium13 yrs2025
17e🇧🇲 Bermuda13 yrs2025
17e🇨🇷 Costa Rica13 yrs2025
17e🇩🇪 Germany13 yrs2025
17e🇫🇷 France13 yrs2025
17e🇭🇺 Hungary13 yrs2025
17e🇲🇭 Marshall Islands13 yrs2025
17e🇲🇰 North Macedonia13 yrs2025
17e🇳🇱 Netherlands13 yrs2025
17e🇵🇭 Philippines13 yrs2025
17e🇵🇷 Puerto Rico13 yrs2025
17e🇵🇾 Paraguay13 yrs2025
17e🇹🇨 Turks & Caicos Islands13 yrs2025
32e🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates12 yrs2025
32e🇦🇲 Armenia12 yrs2025
32e🇧🇬 Bulgaria12 yrs2025
32e🇧🇸 Bahamas12 yrs2025
32e🇨🇱 Chile12 yrs2025
32e🇨🇴 Colombia12 yrs2025
32e🇰🇾 Cayman Islands12 yrs2025
32e🇩🇲 Dominica12 yrs2025
32e🇪🇬 Egypt12 yrs2025
32e🇫🇮 Finland12 yrs2025
32e🇬🇩 Grenada12 yrs2025
32e🇭🇳 Honduras12 yrs2025
32e🇮🇹 Italy12 yrs2025
32e🇰🇪 Kenya12 yrs2025
32e🇰🇳 St. Kitts & Nevis12 yrs2025
32e🇱🇺 Luxembourg12 yrs2025
32e🇲🇻 Maldives12 yrs2025
32e🇲🇳 Mongolia12 yrs2025
32e🇲🇺 Mauritius12 yrs2025
32e🇵🇰 Pakistan12 yrs2025
32e🇵🇼 Palau12 yrs2025
32e🇰🇵 North Korea12 yrs2025
32e🇵🇹 Portugal12 yrs2025
32e🇶🇦 Qatar12 yrs2025
32e🇹🇲 Turkmenistan12 yrs2025
32e🇹🇷 Türkiye12 yrs2025
32e🇺🇸 United States12 yrs2025
32e🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines12 yrs2025
32e🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands12 yrs2025
61e🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda11 yrs2025
61e🇦🇺 Australia11 yrs2025
61e🇧🇾 Belarus11 yrs2025
61e🇧🇧 Barbados11 yrs2025
61e🇨🇭 Switzerland11 yrs2025
61e🇬🇧 United Kingdom11 yrs2025
61e🇬🇭 Ghana11 yrs2025
61e🇱🇰 Sri Lanka11 yrs2025
61e🇱🇹 Lithuania11 yrs2025
61e🇱🇻 Latvia11 yrs2025
61e🇲🇨 Monaco11 yrs2025
61e🇲🇹 Malta11 yrs2025
61e🇵🇦 Panama11 yrs2025
61e🇷🇺 Russia11 yrs2025
61e🇸🇳 Senegal11 yrs2025
61e🇸🇰 Slovakia11 yrs2025
61e🇸🇨 Seychelles11 yrs2025
61e🇺🇦 Ukraine11 yrs2025
61e🇺🇿 Uzbekistan11 yrs2025
80e🇦🇴 Angola10 yrs2025
80e🇦🇩 Andorra10 yrs2025
80e🇧🇫 Burkina Faso10 yrs2025
80e🇨🇫 Central African Republic10 yrs2025
80e🇨🇦 Canada10 yrs2025
80e🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire10 yrs2025
80e🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville10 yrs2025
80e🇨🇻 Cape Verde10 yrs2025
80e🇨🇾 Cyprus10 yrs2025
80e🇨🇿 Czechia10 yrs2025
80e🇩🇯 Djibouti10 yrs2025
80e🇩🇰 Denmark10 yrs2025
80e🇩🇿 Algeria10 yrs2025
80e🇪🇸 Spain10 yrs2025
80e🇬🇦 Gabon10 yrs2025
80e🇬🇷 Greece10 yrs2025
80e🇮🇪 Ireland10 yrs2025
80e🇮🇸 Iceland10 yrs2025
80e🇯🇴 Jordan10 yrs2025
80e🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan10 yrs2025
80e🇱🇧 Lebanon10 yrs2025
80e🇱🇨 St. Lucia10 yrs2025
80e🇲🇴 Macao SAR China10 yrs2025
80e🇲🇩 Moldova10 yrs2025
80e🇳🇴 Norway10 yrs2025
80e🇳🇿 New Zealand10 yrs2025
80e🇴🇲 Oman10 yrs2025
80e🇷🇴 Romania10 yrs2025
80e🇸🇲 San Marino10 yrs2025
80e🇸🇪 Sweden10 yrs2025
80e🇹🇩 Chad10 yrs2025
80e🇹🇬 Togo10 yrs2025
80e🇻🇳 Vietnam10 yrs2025
113e🇦🇫 Afghanistan9 yrs2025
113e🇦🇱 Albania9 yrs2025
113e🇦🇿 Azerbaijan9 yrs2025
113e🇧🇭 Bahrain9 yrs2025
113e🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina9 yrs2025
113e🇧🇳 Brunei9 yrs2025
113e🇨🇳 China9 yrs2025
113e🇨🇺 Cuba9 yrs2025
113e🇪🇪 Estonia9 yrs2025
113e🇬🇪 Georgia9 yrs2025
113e🇬🇲 Gambia9 yrs2025
113e🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau9 yrs2025
113e🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China9 yrs2025
113e🇮🇩 Indonesia9 yrs2025
113e🇮🇷 Iran9 yrs2025
113e🇯🇵 Japan9 yrs2025
113e🇰🇿 Kazakhstan9 yrs2025
113e🇰🇮 Kiribati9 yrs2025
113e🇰🇷 South Korea9 yrs2025
113e🇰🇼 Kuwait9 yrs2025
113e🇱🇦 Laos9 yrs2025
113e🇱🇾 Libya9 yrs2025
113e🇱🇮 Liechtenstein9 yrs2025
113e🇲🇦 Morocco9 yrs2025
113e🇲🇱 Mali9 yrs2025
113e🇲🇪 Montenegro9 yrs2025
113e🇲🇷 Mauritania9 yrs2025
113e🇳🇬 Nigeria9 yrs2025
113e🇳🇵 Nepal9 yrs2025
113e🇵🇱 Poland9 yrs2025
113e🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia9 yrs2025
113e🇸🇱 Sierra Leone9 yrs2025
113e🇸🇮 Slovenia9 yrs2025
113e🇸🇾 Syria9 yrs2025
113e🇹🇭 Thailand9 yrs2025
113e🇹🇯 Tajikistan9 yrs2025
113e🇹🇱 Timor-Leste9 yrs2025
113e🇹🇳 Tunisia9 yrs2025
113e🇹🇻 Tuvalu9 yrs2025
113e🇾🇪 Yemen9 yrs2025
113e🇿🇦 South Africa9 yrs2025
154e🇧🇿 Belize8 yrs2025
154e🇪🇷 Eritrea8 yrs2025
154e🇪🇹 Ethiopia8 yrs2025
154e🇫🇲 Micronesia8 yrs2025
154e🇭🇷 Croatia8 yrs2025
154e🇮🇳 India8 yrs2025
154e🇲🇼 Malawi8 yrs2025
154e🇸🇩 Sudan8 yrs2025
154e🇸🇴 Somalia8 yrs2025
154e🇷🇸 Serbia8 yrs2025
154e🇼🇸 Samoa8 yrs2025
165e🇱🇸 Lesotho7 yrs2025
165e🇳🇦 Namibia7 yrs2025
165e🇳🇮 Nicaragua7 yrs2025
165e🇸🇿 Eswatini7 yrs2025
165e🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago7 yrs2025
165e🇹🇿 Tanzania7 yrs2025
165e🇺🇬 Uganda7 yrs2025
165e🇿🇲 Zambia7 yrs2025
165e🇿🇼 Zimbabwe7 yrs2025
174e🇧🇯 Benin6 yrs2025
174e🇨🇲 Cameroon6 yrs2025
174e🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa6 yrs2025
174e🇰🇲 Comoros6 yrs2025
174e🇬🇳 Guinea6 yrs2025
174e🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea6 yrs2025
174e🇬🇾 Guyana6 yrs2025
174e🇭🇹 Haiti6 yrs2025
174e🇮🇶 Iraq6 yrs2025
174e🇯🇲 Jamaica6 yrs2025
174e🇱🇷 Liberia6 yrs2025
174e🇲🇾 Malaysia6 yrs2025
174e🇷🇼 Rwanda6 yrs2025
174e🇸🇬 Singapore6 yrs2025
174e🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe6 yrs2025
174e🇸🇷 Suriname6 yrs2025
190e🇧🇩 Bangladesh5 yrs2025
190e🇲🇬 Madagascar5 yrs2025
190e🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma)5 yrs2025
193e🇬🇺 Guam0 yrs2025
193e🇳🇨 New Caledonia0 yrs2025

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest value for "Duration of compulsory schooling"?

The highest value is in Venezuela, at 17 yrs (2025).

Which country has the lowest value for "Duration of compulsory schooling"?

The lowest value is in New Caledonia, at 0 yrs (2025).

What is the world median value of "Duration of compulsory schooling"?

The world median is 10 yrs, calculated across 194 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.

What is the value of "Duration of compulsory schooling" for France?

France scores 13 yrs (2025), ranking 17 out of 194 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).

Where does the "Duration of compulsory schooling" data come from?

It comes from Banque mondiale – Durée de la scolarité obligatoire (années) (SE.COM.DURS). Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.

What does the duration of compulsory schooling measure?

It is the number of years during which the law requires children to be in school, from entry into primary school to the end of the compulsory period.

Does long compulsory schooling guarantee that all children attend school?

No. The duration describes the legal rule, not reality. Actual enrollment also depends on resources, distance, costs and enforcement of the law.

Source and update

Source : Banque mondiale – Durée de la scolarité obligatoire (années) (SE.COM.DURS). Site last updated: November 8, 2026.

Indicators in the same category : Civic duties