Historical trend
Trend summary
School absence rate was 6.5% in 2025-26, down from 6.8% in 2024-25.
Trend
- Over the available record (2018-19–2025-26), it has ranged from 4.6% in 2020-21 to 7.5% in 2021-22.
- The latest reading is above the record average of 6.4%.
Context
- DfE publishes school absence statistics annually for state-funded schools in England; they cover autumn, spring, and summer terms.
- Absence figures for 2019–20 and 2020–21 are not comparable with other years owing to partial school closures during COVID-19.
Generated from the published series — describes direction, magnitude and range only, with no editorial judgement or forecasts.
About this indicator
- Source
- Department for Education
- Update frequency
- Annual
- Last updated
- 9 October 2026
- Next update
- 9 October 2027
- Licence
- OGL v3
- Direction
- ↓ Falling
Statistics
- Latest
- 6.5%
- Period high
- 6.5%
- Period low
- 6.5%
- Period average
- 6.5%