*The source specifies that starting from secondary education, the durations considered for each level of education correspond to the general track (the most common if there are several).
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Number of years of compulsory schooling in Europe by country 2021-2022
In Europe, each country has its own educational system. The length of compulsory schooling for children and adolescents therefore varies depending on the country. France is the country with the longest number of years during which children must be compulsorily enrolled in school: for 15 years, from the age of three to the age of 18. Most other EU countries only make school compulsory from the age of five or six, and up to 16 or 18 years old.
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DEPP. (January 1, 2022). Compulsory schooling duration in the European Union during the 2021 - 2022 school year, by country [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 29, 2026, from /statistics/1628162/compulsory-schooling-duration-in-europe-by-country/
DEPP. "Compulsory schooling duration in the European Union during the 2021 - 2022 school year, by country." Chart. January 1, 2022. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 29, 2026. /statistics/1628162/compulsory-schooling-duration-in-europe-by-country/
DEPP. (2022). Compulsory schooling duration in the European Union during the 2021 - 2022 school year, by country. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 29, 2026. /statistics/1628162/compulsory-schooling-duration-in-europe-by-country/
DEPP. "Compulsory Schooling Duration in The European Union during The 2021 - 2022 School Year, by Country." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 1 Jan 2022, /statistics/1628162/compulsory-schooling-duration-in-europe-by-country/
DEPP, Compulsory schooling duration in the European Union during the 2021 - 2022 school year, by country ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1628162/compulsory-schooling-duration-in-europe-by-country/ (last visited July 29, 2026)
Compulsory schooling duration in the European Union during the 2021 - 2022 school year, by country [Graph], DEPP, January 1, 2022. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1628162/compulsory-schooling-duration-in-europe-by-country/
