What is primary education, duration in North America?

Primary education, duration in North America was 6 years in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

What is the highest primary education, duration recorded in North America?

The highest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.

What is the lowest primary education, duration recorded in North America?

The lowest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.

Is primary education, duration rising or falling in North America?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.

Where does this North America data come from?

The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, duration (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Primary education, duration in North America

Name: Primary education, duration in North America
Creator: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
License: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)

North America: Primary education, duration was 6 years in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)

6 years

Change on year

unchanged

All-time high

6 years

in 1970

All-time low

6 years

in 1970

Years of data

1970–2025

Primary education, duration in North America, 1970–2025

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in years.

Analysis

In 2025, primary education, duration in North America stood at 6 years. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, duration in North America peaked at 6 years in 1970 and was at its lowest, 6 years, in 1970.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	6 years	6 years	6 years	10
1980s	6 years	6 years	6 years	10
1990s	6 years	6 years	6 years	10
2000s	6 years	6 years	6 years	10
2010s	6 years	6 years	6 years	10
2020s	6 years	6 years	6 years	6

More education data for North America

Population ages 0-14 16.9% (2025)
Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
School enrollment, primary 96.8% (2024)
Primary education, teachers 2.04 million (2024)
School enrollment, primary, female 96.2% (2024)
School enrollment, primary, male 97.4% (2024)
Labor force, female 45.8% (2025)
Labor force, total 197.68 million (2025)
School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 0.995 GPI (2020)
School enrollment, secondary 98.1% (2024)

All data for North America →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, duration in North America?: Primary education, duration in North America was 6 years in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest primary education, duration recorded in North America?: The highest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.
What is the lowest primary education, duration recorded in North America?: The lowest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.
Is primary education, duration rising or falling in North America?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this North America data come from?: The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, duration (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator: Primary 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: 256 places, 14,114 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Primary duration refers to the number of grades (years) in primary school.