Primary school starting age (years) by country
Primary school starting age is the age at which students would enter primary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.
Countries reporting
210
Highest
7 years
Afghanistan
Lowest
5 years
Samoa
Median
6 years
Years covered
56
1970–2025
Data points
11,539
What the numbers show
Primary school starting age (years) is currently reported for 210 countries. The highest value is 7 years in Afghanistan; the lowest is 5 years in Samoa.
The median across all reporting countries is 6 years, and the mean is 6.03 years.
Primary school starting age: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afghanistan | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bulgaria | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Estonia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Ethiopia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Finland | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Guinea | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Gambia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Equatorial Guinea | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Guatemala | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Croatia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Hungary | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Indonesia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Kyrgyzstan | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Liechtenstein | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Lithuania | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Latvia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Moldova | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Mali | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Namibia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Niger | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Papua New Guinea | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Poland | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | North Korea | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Russia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | El Salvador | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Serbia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Sweden | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tajikistan | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tanzania | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | South Africa | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Zambia | 7 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Aruba | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Angola | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Albania | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Andorra | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | United Arab Emirates | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Argentina | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Armenia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | American Samoa | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Austria | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Azerbaijan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Burundi | 6 years | 2025 | down 14.3% | flat |
| 33 | Belgium | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Benin | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 33 | Burkina Faso | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Bangladesh | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 33 | Bahrain | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Belarus | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Bolivia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Brazil | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Brunei | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Bhutan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Botswana | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Central African Republic | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Canada | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Switzerland | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Chile | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | China | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Cote d'Ivoire | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Cameroon | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Congo | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Colombia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Comoros | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Cape Verde | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Costa Rica | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Cuba | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Curacao | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Cyprus | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Czechia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Germany | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Djibouti | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Denmark | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Dominican Republic | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Algeria | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Ecuador | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Egypt | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Eritrea | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Spain | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Fiji | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | France | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Micronesia (country) | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Gabon | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Georgia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Ghana | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Guinea-Bissau | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Greece | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Guam | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Guyana | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Hong Kong | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Honduras | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Haiti | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | India | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Iran | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Iraq | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Iceland | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Israel | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Italy | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Jamaica | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Jordan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Japan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Kazakhstan | 6 years | 2025 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 33 | Kenya | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Cambodia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Kiribati | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | South Korea | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Kuwait | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Laos | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Lebanon | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Liberia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Libya | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Lesotho | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Luxembourg | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Macao | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Morocco | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Monaco | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Madagascar | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Maldives | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Mexico | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Marshall Islands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | North Macedonia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Montenegro | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Mongolia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Mozambique | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Mauritania | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Malawi | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Malaysia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | New Caledonia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Nigeria | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Nicaragua | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Netherlands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Norway | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Nauru | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Oman | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Panama | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Peru | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Philippines | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Palau | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Puerto Rico | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 33 | Portugal | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Paraguay | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Palestine | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | French Polynesia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Qatar | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Romania | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Rwanda | 6 years | 2025 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 33 | Saudi Arabia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Sudan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Senegal | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Singapore | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Solomon Islands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Sierra Leone | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 33 | San Marino | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Somalia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | South Sudan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Sao Tome and Principe | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Suriname | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Slovakia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Slovenia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Eswatini | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Seychelles | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Syria | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Chad | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Togo | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Thailand | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Turkmenistan | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | East Timor | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Tonga | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Tunisia | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Turkey | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Tuvalu | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 33 | Uganda | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Ukraine | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | Uruguay | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | United States | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Venezuela | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 33 | United States Virgin Islands | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Vietnam | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Vanuatu | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Yemen | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 33 | Zimbabwe | 6 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 186 | Antigua and Barbuda | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Australia | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 186 | Bahamas | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Belize | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 186 | Bermuda | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Barbados | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Cayman Islands | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Dominica | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | United Kingdom | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Gibraltar | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 186 | Grenada | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Ireland | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 186 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Saint Lucia | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Sri Lanka | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 186 | Malta | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Myanmar | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Mauritius | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Nepal | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 186 | New Zealand | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Pakistan | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Trinidad and Tobago | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | British Virgin Islands | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 186 | Samoa | 5 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
About this data
Primary school starting age is the age at which students would enter primary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.