Around 2.21 million pupils were eligible for free school meals in England in the 2025/26 academic year, compared with 2.17 million pupils in the previous year.Â
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ can support your business.
GOV.UK. (June 4, 2026). Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2025/26 (in millions) [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 22, 2026, from /statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/
GOV.UK. "Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2025/26 (in millions)." Chart. June 4, 2026. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 22, 2026. /statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/
GOV.UK. (2026). Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2025/26 (in millions). ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2026. /statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/
GOV.UK. "Number of Pupils Known to Be Eligible for Free School Meals in England from 2015/16 to 2025/26 (in Millions)." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 4 Jun 2026, /statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/
GOV.UK, Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2025/26 (in millions) ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/ (last visited July 22, 2026)
Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2025/26 (in millions) [Graph], GOV.UK, June 4, 2026. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/
