France vs Germany: Compulsory education, duration

France

13 years

in 2025

Germany

13 years

in 2025

France rank

17th

Germany rank

17th

Compulsory education, duration over time

France currently reports 13 years against 13 years in Germany, a difference of 0 years.

Across all 28 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.

Globally, France ranks 17th and Germany ranks 17th of 197 countries.

Indicator: Compulsory education, duration (years)
Unit: years
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 243 places, 6,506 data points, 1975–2025
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Duration of compulsory education is the number of years that children are legally obliged to attend school.