Primary education, duration (years) by country
Primary duration refers to the number of grades (years) in primary school.
Countries reporting
210
Highest
8 years
Guam
Lowest
4 years
Uzbekistan
Median
6 years
Years covered
56
1970–2025
Data points
14,114
What the numbers show
Primary education, duration (years) is currently reported for 210 countries. The highest value is 8 years in Guam; the lowest is 4 years in Uzbekistan.
The median across all reporting countries is 6 years, and the mean is 5.73 years.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 2.
Primary education, duration: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guam | 8 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Ireland | 8 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 3 | Antigua and Barbuda | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Australia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 3 | Botswana | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Dominica | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Denmark | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 3 | Grenada | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Iceland | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 3 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Saint Lucia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Lesotho | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Mozambique | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 3 | Namibia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Norway | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 3 | Eswatini | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Trinidad and Tobago | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Tanzania | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Uganda | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | British Virgin Islands | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | South Africa | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Zambia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Zimbabwe | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Aruba | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Afghanistan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Angola | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Andorra | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Argentina | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | American Samoa | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | Burundi | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Belgium | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Benin | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Burkina Faso | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Bahrain | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Bahamas | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Belize | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Bermuda | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | Bolivia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Barbados | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Brunei | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Bhutan | 6 years | 2025 | down 14.3% | rising |
| 25 | Central African Republic | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Canada | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Switzerland | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Chile | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | China | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Cote d'Ivoire | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Cameroon | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Congo | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Cape Verde | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Costa Rica | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Cuba | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Curacao | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Cayman Islands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Cyprus | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Dominican Republic | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Ecuador | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Egypt | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Spain | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Estonia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Ethiopia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Finland | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Fiji | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Micronesia (country) | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | United Kingdom | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Georgia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Ghana | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Gibraltar | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | Guinea | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Gambia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Guinea-Bissau | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Equatorial Guinea | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Greece | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Guatemala | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Guyana | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Hong Kong | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Honduras | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Haiti | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Indonesia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Iran | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Iraq | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Israel | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Jamaica | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Jordan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Japan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Kenya | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Cambodia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Kiribati | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | South Korea | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Lebanon | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Liberia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Libya | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Luxembourg | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Latvia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Macao | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Morocco | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Maldives | 6 years | 2025 | down 14.3% | rising |
| 25 | Mexico | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Marshall Islands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Mali | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Malta | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Mauritania | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | Mauritius | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Malawi | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Malaysia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Niger | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Nigeria | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Nicaragua | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Netherlands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Nauru | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | New Zealand | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Panama | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Peru | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Philippines | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Palau | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Papua New Guinea | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Puerto Rico | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | Portugal | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Paraguay | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Qatar | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Rwanda | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Saudi Arabia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Sudan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Senegal | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Singapore | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Solomon Islands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | Sierra Leone | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | El Salvador | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | South Sudan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Sao Tome and Principe | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Suriname | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Slovenia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 25 | Sweden | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Seychelles | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Syria | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Chad | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Togo | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Thailand | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | East Timor | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Tonga | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Tunisia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Tuvalu | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 25 | Uruguay | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | United States | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Venezuela | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | United States Virgin Islands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Vanuatu | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Samoa | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Yemen | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Albania | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 154 | Bangladesh | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 154 | Brazil | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 154 | Colombia | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Comoros | 5 years | 2025 | down 16.7% | flat |
| 154 | Czechia | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 154 | Djibouti | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 154 | Algeria | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 154 | Eritrea | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 154 | France | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Gabon | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 154 | India | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Italy | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Kuwait | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 154 | Laos | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 154 | Liechtenstein | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Sri Lanka | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Monaco | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Madagascar | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 154 | North Macedonia | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 154 | Myanmar | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Montenegro | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 154 | Mongolia | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 154 | New Caledonia | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Nepal | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Pakistan | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | North Korea | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 154 | French Polynesia | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 154 | Romania | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 154 | San Marino | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 154 | Vietnam | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | United Arab Emirates | 4 years | 2025 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 186 | Armenia | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 186 | Austria | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Azerbaijan | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 186 | Bulgaria | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Belarus | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 186 | Germany | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Croatia | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Hungary | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Kazakhstan | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 186 | Kyrgyzstan | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 186 | Lithuania | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Moldova | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Oman | 4 years | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 186 | Poland | 4 years | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 186 | Palestine | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Russia | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 186 | Somalia | 4 years | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 186 | Serbia | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Slovakia | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Tajikistan | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Turkmenistan | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 186 | Turkey | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 186 | Ukraine | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 186 | Uzbekistan | 4 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Caribbean small states 7 years
- Africa Eastern and Southern 6 years
- Africa Western and Central 6 years
- Arab World 6 years
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 6 years
- Early-demographic dividend 6 years
- East Asia & Pacific 6 years
- Euro area 6 years
- European Union 6 years
- High income 6 years
- Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) 6 years
- IBRD only 6 years
About this data
Primary duration refers to the number of grades (years) in primary school.