( CNN ) -- When it comes to mandatory education , Puerto Rico and Venezuela stand apart from the rest of the world . There , children are required to attend school for 14 years . That 's longer than any other country -- or commonwealth or territory -- by at least one year , according to the most recent data from UNESCO . Five places -- Anguilla , Belgium , Germany , the Netherlands and Turks and Caicos Islands -- require 13 years of education . The United States is among a large group that requires 12 years . Nobody starts a child sooner than Venezuela , which begins by age 3 . Puerto Rico starts two years later and ends at 18 , which is tied for the highest `` ending age '' along with Belgium , Germany and Uzbekistan . At the other end of the spectrum are Bangladesh , Equatorial Guinea , Laos , Myanmar and Pakistan , which require only five years of education , according to UNESCO . By age 9 , children in Myanmar and Pakistan are already finishing up their legal obligation for school . Among all of the locations in the table , the average amount of compulsory education is nine years , starting by age 6 and ending near 14 . More Country Comparisons : Who 's got the highest ( and lowest ) unemployment rates ?
Puerto Rico and Venezuela require 14 years of education , according to UNESCO . Comment: Children in Myanmar and Pakistan are only obligated to be in school for five years .