Department for Education · pupils

Pupils persistently absent under each government

The full published series with each government’s time in office shaded. The table gives the level each government inherited and the last complete period before it left. Changes describe the period, not a cause. Definitions and caveats are on the metric page.

Pupils persistently absent: 2006/07 academic year to 2024/25 academic yearLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour0500k1m1.5m20102015202020252006/07 academic year: 1,272,613 pupils · published 4 August 20262007/08 academic year: 1,197,110 pupils · published 4 August 20262008/09 academic year: 1,184,704 pupils · published 4 August 20262009/10 academic year: 1,113,456 pupils · published 4 August 20262010/11 academic year: 1,037,527 pupils · published 4 August 20262011/12 academic year: 866,000 pupils · published 4 August 20262012/13 academic year: 883,313 pupils · published 4 August 20262013/14 academic year: 699,561 pupils · published 4 August 20262014/15 academic year: 728,081 pupils · published 4 August 20262015/16 academic year: 707,390 pupils · published 4 August 20262016/17 academic year: 744,276 pupils · published 4 August 20262017/18 academic year: 783,424 pupils · published 4 August 20262018/19 academic year: 771,863 pupils · published 4 August 20262020/21 academic year: 872,438 pupils · published 4 August 20262021/22 academic year: 1,643,876 pupils · published 4 August 20262022/23 academic year: 1,569,303 pupils · published 4 August 20262023/24 academic year: 1,487,022 pupils · published 4 August 20262024/25 academic year: 1,340,437 pupils · published 4 August 2026

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value
GovernmentInheritedLeft at / latestChange during government
Labour 2024–5 July 2024present1,569,3032022/23 academic year1,340,4372024/25 academic year 14.6%228,866
Conservative 2019–202413 December 20195 July 2024771,8632018/19 academic year1,569,3032022/23 academic year 103.3%+797,440
Conservative 2017–20199 June 201713 December 2019707,3902015/16 academic year771,8632018/19 academic year 9.1%+64,473
Conservative 2015–20178 May 20159 June 2017699,5612013/14 academic year707,3902015/16 academic year 1.1%+7,829
Coalition 2010–201511 May 20108 May 20151,184,7042008/09 academic year699,5612013/14 academic year 41.0%485,143
Labour 2005–20106 May 200511 May 2010No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 2001–20058 June 20015 May 2005No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 1997–20012 May 19977 June 2001No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1992–199710 April 19922 May 1997No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1987–199212 June 19879 April 1992No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1983–198710 June 198311 June 1987No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1979–19834 May 19799 June 1983No complete period was published before this government took office.