Persistent pupil absence — 132 of 361 areas ranked
Rank by year-on-year change instead
This page ranks 132 of 361 areas at this level — the rest have no published figure for this dataset (see the coverage notes above for why, where one applies).
Figures as of 2024/25, published by Department for Education — Explore Education Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-20.
Colour shows the change in the percentage of pupil enrolments classed as persistently absent (missing 10% or more of possible school sessions) for each local authority district, published annually by the Department for Education. England only.
| Rank | Local authority district | Persistent pupil absence | Year on year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knowsley | 24.4% | -2.6 pts |
| 2 | Camden | 23.2% | +1.2 pts |
| 3 | Bradford | 23.1% | -2.5 pts |
| 4 | Islington | 22.4% | +0.3 pts |
| 5 | Isle of Wight | 22.2% | -0.0 pts |
| 6 | Bristol, City of | 22.2% | -2.6 pts |
| 7 | Westminster | 22.1% | -1.1 pts |
| 8 | Middlesbrough | 22.1% | -3.3 pts |
| 9 | Blackpool | 22.0% | -3.6 pts |
| 10 | Halton | 21.7% | -1.4 pts |
| 11 | Walsall | 21.6% | -1.4 pts |
| 12 | Southampton | 21.4% | -1.1 pts |
| 13 | Sheffield | 21.3% | -1.4 pts |
| 14 | Brighton and Hove | 21.2% | -1.1 pts |
| 15 | Sefton | 21.0% | -2.3 pts |
| 16 | Birmingham | 21.0% | -2.3 pts |
| 17 | Liverpool | 20.9% | -2.2 pts |
| 18 | Sunderland | 20.9% | -3.1 pts |
| 19 | Kensington and Chelsea | 20.8% | +1.5 pts |
| 20 | Plymouth | 20.8% | -2.8 pts |
| 21 | Nottingham | 20.6% | -1.7 pts |
| 22 | Salford | 20.6% | -2.6 pts |
| 23 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 20.5% | -2.0 pts |
| 24 | South Tyneside | 20.4% | -1.5 pts |
| 25 | Wirral | 20.4% | -1.2 pts |
| 26 | Coventry | 20.2% | -1.1 pts |
| 27 | Rotherham | 20.1% | -2.3 pts |
| 28 | Dudley | 20.1% | -2.2 pts |
| 29 | Darlington | 20.1% | -2.1 pts |
| 30 | Rochdale | 20.0% | -3.5 pts |
| 31 | Kingston upon Hull, City of | 19.9% | -2.5 pts |
| 32 | North East Lincolnshire | 19.8% | -2.4 pts |
| 33 | Stoke-on-Trent | 19.7% | -2.4 pts |
| 34 | Portsmouth | 19.7% | -0.8 pts |
| 35 | Sandwell | 19.7% | -1.8 pts |
| 36 | Hartlepool | 19.7% | -2.9 pts |
| 37 | Newham | 19.6% | -0.3 pts |
| 38 | Wakefield | 19.5% | -2.7 pts |
| 39 | Redcar and Cleveland | 19.5% | -1.7 pts |
| 40 | Derby | 19.5% | -1.8 pts |
| 41 | Dorset | 19.5% | -1.6 pts |
| 42 | Leicester | 19.4% | -1.1 pts |
| 43 | County Durham | 19.4% | -3.5 pts |
| 44 | Stockton-on-Tees | 19.3% | -2.2 pts |
| 45 | Hillingdon | 19.2% | +0.4 pts |
| 46 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 19.1% | -0.2 pts |
| 47 | Torbay | 19.1% | -5.1 pts |
| 48 | Blackburn with Darwen | 19.1% | -2.6 pts |
| 49 | Reading | 19.0% | -1.7 pts |
| 50 | Leeds | 19.0% | -1.7 pts |
| 51 | Enfield | 19.0% | -0.4 pts |
| 52 | Oldham | 18.9% | -2.9 pts |
| 53 | Peterborough | 18.9% | -1.0 pts |
| 54 | Somerset | 18.9% | -2.8 pts |
| 55 | Haringey | 18.9% | +0.0 pts |
| 56 | Manchester | 18.8% | -1.7 pts |
| 57 | Medway | 18.8% | -2.1 pts |
| 58 | Cornwall | 18.8% | -4.2 pts |
| 59 | Croydon | 18.7% | -1.2 pts |
| 60 | Lambeth | 18.7% | -0.6 pts |
| 61 | Bury | 18.7% | -1.4 pts |
| 62 | Slough | 18.6% | -0.5 pts |
| 63 | Barnsley | 18.6% | -3.5 pts |
| 64 | St. Helens | 18.5% | -2.1 pts |
| 65 | Waltham Forest | 18.5% | -0.3 pts |
| 66 | Tameside | 18.4% | -0.5 pts |
| 67 | Doncaster | 18.3% | -2.8 pts |
| 68 | Solihull | 18.3% | -1.9 pts |
| 69 | Bolton | 18.3% | -0.1 pts |
| 70 | Tower Hamlets | 18.3% | +0.3 pts |
| 71 | Ealing | 18.2% | +1.2 pts |
| 72 | Bedford | 18.1% | -0.2 pts |
| 73 | North Lincolnshire | 18.0% | -2.6 pts |
| 74 | Windsor and Maidenhead | 17.9% | -1.2 pts |
| 75 | Barking and Dagenham | 17.9% | -0.9 pts |
| 76 | North Somerset | 17.9% | -2.4 pts |
| 77 | Hackney | 17.8% | +0.3 pts |
| 78 | Isles of Scilly | 17.8% | +3.4 pts |
| 79 | North Northamptonshire | 17.8% | -2.2 pts |
| 80 | Hounslow | 17.8% | -0.7 pts |
| 81 | Buckinghamshire | 17.8% | -2.0 pts |
| 82 | Northumberland | 17.8% | -2.4 pts |
| 83 | Cheshire West and Chester | 17.7% | -2.3 pts |
| 84 | Southend-on-Sea | 17.7% | -0.7 pts |
| 85 | Luton | 17.7% | -1.2 pts |
| 86 | Wolverhampton | 17.7% | -1.8 pts |
| 87 | Redbridge | 17.7% | +0.7 pts |
| 88 | Milton Keynes | 17.7% | -0.4 pts |
| 89 | Kirklees | 17.6% | -2.6 pts |
| 90 | Wigan | 17.5% | -2.3 pts |
| 91 | York | 17.5% | -1.6 pts |
| 92 | Shropshire | 17.5% | -2.4 pts |
| 93 | North Yorkshire | 17.3% | -2.5 pts |
| 94 | South Gloucestershire | 17.3% | -1.6 pts |
| 95 | Swindon | 17.2% | -1.9 pts |
| 96 | Southwark | 17.2% | +0.3 pts |
| 97 | Gateshead | 17.1% | -3.3 pts |
| 98 | Greenwich | 17.1% | -0.8 pts |
| 99 | Calderdale | 17.0% | -3.5 pts |
| 100 | Wandsworth | 17.0% | +0.4 pts |
| 101 | Brent | 17.0% | -0.6 pts |
| 102 | East Riding of Yorkshire | 16.9% | -2.4 pts |
| 103 | Bath and North East Somerset | 16.8% | -1.5 pts |
| 104 | Telford and Wrekin | 16.7% | -3.7 pts |
| 105 | Lewisham | 16.6% | -0.7 pts |
| 106 | Thurrock | 16.6% | -0.9 pts |
| 107 | Stockport | 16.6% | -1.9 pts |
| 108 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 16.6% | -2.2 pts |
| 109 | West Northamptonshire | 16.5% | -1.7 pts |
| 110 | North Tyneside | 16.5% | -2.8 pts |
| 111 | West Berkshire | 16.5% | -1.7 pts |
| 112 | Central Bedfordshire | 16.3% | -2.3 pts |
| 113 | Cumberland | 16.3% | -3.3 pts |
| 114 | Wiltshire | 16.0% | -2.2 pts |
| 115 | Harrow | 16.0% | -1.0 pts |
| 116 | Herefordshire, County of | 15.9% | -3.2 pts |
| 117 | Bexley | 15.7% | -1.7 pts |
| 118 | Barnet | 15.6% | -0.7 pts |
| 119 | Westmorland and Furness | 15.6% | -2.5 pts |
| 120 | Bromley | 15.2% | -1.2 pts |
| 121 | Havering | 15.2% | -1.4 pts |
| 122 | Kingston upon Thames | 15.0% | -0.5 pts |
| 123 | Merton | 14.9% | -1.1 pts |
| 124 | Cheshire East | 14.8% | -2.1 pts |
| 125 | Sutton | 14.7% | -1.0 pts |
| 126 | Warrington | 14.4% | -2.1 pts |
| 127 | Wokingham | 14.3% | -1.1 pts |
| 128 | Rutland | 14.2% | -1.5 pts |
| 129 | Bracknell Forest | 14.1% | -2.1 pts |
| 130 | Trafford | 12.6% | -1.7 pts |
| 131 | Richmond upon Thames | 12.4% | -1.1 pts |
| 132 | City of London | 6.0% | -2.4 pts |
Before you use these figures
- England only: The Department for Education publishes this figure for state-funded schools in England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not covered here.
- All state-funded school types combined: This figure combines state-funded primary, secondary and special schools. DfE also publishes a per-school-type breakdown, not loaded here.
- Persistent absence, not all absence: "Persistent absentees" are pupils who missed 10% or more of their possible school sessions across the academic year. This is narrower than overall absence, which DfE also publishes separately.
- Open Government Licence: Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Latest figure: 2024 — 2 years old: This dataset is published annually and the publisher hasn't released anything newer. Nothing is missing from this page.
Cite this ranking:
Persistent pupil absence, 132 of 361 areas ranked Caveats: England only; All state-funded school types combined; Persistent absence, not all absence; Open Government Licence; Latest figure: 2024 — 2 years old StatsMapped last confirmed these figures unchanged on 12 Sep 2026. Source: Department for Education — Explore Education Statistics https://statsmapped.com/united-kingdom/rankings/pupil-absence
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