United Kingdom: Secondary education, pupils

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, United Kingdom's secondary education, pupils rose 1.5% on 2022 (from 6.3 million to 6.4 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2022), the average change was +1.5% and a typical year strayed about 7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 34% in 2013 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.7% in 2011. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 20% of the movement over 9 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, United Kingdom had the 9th highest value of the 51 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to United Kingdom in the 2023 ranking

• Kenya — 6th of 51: 6.74 million
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 7th of 51: 6.62 million
• Japan — 8th of 51: 6.61 million
• South Africa — 10th of 51: 5.5 million
• Italy — 11th of 51: 4.61 million
• Argentina — 12th of 51: 4.56 million

What this measures

Secondary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 52 values

Secondary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Albania — 208,738 (2024)
• Andorra — 5,245 (2024)
• Armenia — 290,201 (2024)
• Austria — 706,802 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 1.06 million (2024)
• Belarus — 729,741 (2024)
• Belgium — 1.18 million (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 226,755 (2023)
• Bulgaria — 485,226 (2024)
• Croatia — 325,996 (2023)
• Cyprus — 61,230 (2024)
• Czechia

More education data for United Kingdom

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.02 (2020)
• Primary education, pupils — 4.86 million (2023)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 4.17 million (2017)
• Secondary education, general pupils (% female) — 49.21% (2017)
• Secondary education, pupils (% female) — 49.61% (2017)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is United Kingdom's secondary education, pupils?

6.4 million in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 54.17% from 4.15 million in 1971 (0.84% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 6.56 million in 2014 and the lowest 4.15 million in 1971.

How does United Kingdom rank?

9th highest of 51 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in secondary education, pupils unusual for United Kingdom?

In 2023, United Kingdom's secondary education, pupils rose 1.5% on 2022 (from 6.3 million to 6.4 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2022), the average change was +1.5% and a typical year strayed about 7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.ENRL, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.