will there be 21 students per class in grade 1, as claimed by the new Minister of Education?

Édouard Geffray emphasized that at the start of the 2026 school year, the number of students per class in primary education will never be this low. A trend confirmed by official figures, but hiding significant disparities, depending on region and school level.

Published on 10/24/2025 09:55

Reading time: 2 minutes

In kindergartens and elementary schools, there will be an average of 21 students per class at the start of the 2026 school year due to falling demographics, according to the Ministry of Education. (DUMAS CHRIST / MAXPPP)

By the start of the 2026 school year, France will have an average of 21 students per class in primary education, according to National Education Minister Édouard Geffray. It’s true, he said, “the first time in the history of the French education system” that the numbers dropped that low. Statistics confirm this: in 1980, kindergarten classes received an average of 30 children, and elementary classes about 24 children. Therefore, this decline is very real, even spectacular in the long term.

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But these national averages mask large gaps. Classes are divided into several large sections, CP and CE1 in priority education zones have very small numbers, sometimes around a dozen students. On the other hand, certain schools, outside REP, still have much larger classes.

The decrease in the number of students per class was mainly due to a decrease in the birth rate. Between 2018 and 2028, basic education will lose nearly 800,000 students, according to ministry projections.
It is this demographic trend, which began in the early 2010s, that explains why the number of students in primary schools has gradually declined.

In secondary education, the situation is very different. The decline in student numbers has not been felt because the younger generation has not yet reached that number. On average, colleges have 26 students per class, a figure that is increasing slightly. In high school the average is 30 students, continuing to increase over the years.

According to the latest figures from the OECD, France is one of the countries with the busiest classes. At primary school level, only one country – Hungary – performed less well. In high school, France came in last, behind Spain and Germany. In contrast, Croatia and Latvia have the smallest number of students, namely less than 18 students per class.