School Uniforms by Country 2025

School Uniforms Required

165 countries

34 countries

Country	School Uniforms Required↓	Additional Details
India	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory in India in both public and private schools.
China	Yes	Uniforms are a common part of the schools in China. Almost all secondary schools as well as some elementary schools require students to wear uniforms.
Indonesia	Yes	In Indonesia, national school uniforms are mandatory for every student during Monday to Thursday.
Pakistan	Yes	The school uniforms are compulsory in most schools in Pakistan. Both the public and the private schools have mandated uniforms.
Nigeria	Yes	School uniforms are used in Nigeria for all public and private schools from nursery school through primary and secondary school. This originally came with the introduction of western education by Christian missionaries and the tradition continued during the colonial era up till the current era of independence. Some schools have so-called mufti days where this requirement is voided.
Bangladesh	Yes	School uniforms are mandatory in all public and private schools (up to 12th standard) in Bangladesh.
Ethiopia	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory in Ethiopian schools.
Mexico	Yes	In Mexico, students from all public primary and secondary schools, and some public high schools are required to wear uniform.
Japan	Yes	Japan introduced school uniforms in the late 19th century. Today, school uniforms are almost universal in the public and private school systems. They are also used in some women's colleges.
Egypt	Yes	In the late 20th century, Egyptian schoolgirls predominantly wore an "apron" (Arabic: المريلة almarilati) - a type of smock - while their male peers wore shirts and pants. More recently, unisex polo shirts and pants have grown in popularity.
Philippines	Yes	School uniforms, are commonplace in public schools and required in private schools. Some private schools allow civilian clothing on special days, typically parties, school holidays or last day of school before a break.
DR Congo	Yes	School uniform is compulsory in Congolese schools. Controversially, many schools oblige to students' parents to buy uniforms directly from the institutions.
Vietnam	Yes	Most schools in Vietnam require uniforms. The rules on uniforms vary between schools and areas.
Iran	Yes	Iranian schools generally employ uniform policies but students cannot legally be compelled to wear them.
Thailand	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory for all students with very few variations from the standard model throughout the public and private school systems, including colleges and universities.
Tanzania	Yes	School uniforms are a mandatory requirement in Tanzanian schools.
South Africa	Yes	As in many other former British colonies, most South African private and public schools have a uniform, and it is compulsory in all public schools and in the vast majority of private schools for children above pre-school level.
Kenya	Yes	School uniforms are generally compulsory in Kenyan public primary and secondary schools.
Myanmar	Yes	School uniforms are mandatory throughout public schools in Myanmar, from kindergarten until the 10th standard. The current uniform rule, known as the "White-Green", was mandated on 14 February 1966.
Colombia	Yes	In Colombia, all students are required to wear uniforms in public and private schools.
Sudan	Yes	Sudanese schoolchildren are required to wear uniforms.
Uganda	Yes	Most Ugandan public and private schools have uniforms from kindergarten through secondary school.
Algeria	Yes	Algerian primary school students are obliged to wear an apron over their clothes. These are colour-coded by gender: blue for boys, pink for girls.
Iraq	Yes	School uniforms are worn in Iraqi public schools.
Argentina	Yes	Argentinian primary school students have traditionally worn white smocks as uniforms. Teacher Matilde Filgueiras pioneered the garment's design in 1915, which were made mandatory nationwide in 1942.
Yemen	Yes	Uniforms are worn in Yemeni schools.
Angola	Yes	Uniforms are required in Angolan public and private schools.
Morocco	Yes	Historically, Moroccan primary and secondary schools students have worn the "apron" (Arabic: المريلة almarilati).
Uzbekistan	Yes	In August 2017, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed the introduction of a standardized compulsory uniform across all Uzbek public primary and secondary schools.
Malaysia	Yes	In Malaysia, school uniforms (Malay: Pakaian Seragam Sekolah) are compulsory for all students who attend public schools.
Mozambique	Yes	Mozambican schools require students to wear uniforms.
Ghana	Yes	All children have to wear school uniforms in Ghana.
Peru	Yes	School uniforms are used in Peru. Almost all private schools, especially the British ones, use schools uniforms.
Madagascar	Yes	Malagasy public and private schools require uniforms.
Ivory Coast	Yes	In October 2003, the Ivorian government abolished the compulsory wearing of school uniforms in all schools. By 2012, compulsory school uniforms had been re-implemented.
Cameroon	Yes	School uniforms are worn universally in Cameroonian schools.
Nepal	Yes	School uniforms are compulsory in Nepal in both public and private schools.
Venezuela	Yes	School uniforms are used in Venezuela. By Venezuelan decree, uniforms are required at all schools in all grades.
Niger	Yes	Uniforms are worn widely in Nigerien schools.
North Korea	Yes	All North Korean students in schools are required to wear uniforms. Makeup is prohibited until graduation from high school.
Syria	Yes	Up until 2003, public school students in Ba'ath Party-governed Syria wore military khaki-coloured uniforms. In April 2003, the Ministry of Education announced plans to replace these with unified blue uniforms for all elementary students; pink and blue uniforms for intermediate schools students; and gray, blue and pink uniforms for secondary school students. In September 2003, the new uniforms were implemented as planned.
Burkina Faso	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory in all Burkinabè public and private schools.
Sri Lanka	Yes	It is mandatory for Sri Lankan school students to wear a uniform regardless of them attending a government, semi-government or private school.
Taiwan	Yes	As Taiwan experienced a long period of Japanese colonial rule, it is influenced by Japanese culture and the uniform style can be said to be close. However the school uniforms in the two countries are not identical. There are a total of 471 Taiwanese high schools. All schools have two sets of uniforms, a summer uniform and a uniform for winter.
Malawi	Yes	In Malawi, school uniform is widespread but not necessarily compulsory. The UNICEF-backed government scheme Social Cash Transfer Programme frequently subsidizes the cost of uniform.
Zambia	Yes	School uniforms are ubiquitous across Zambian government and private schools.
Chad	Yes	A school uniform prescribed by the Ministry of National Education is compulsory in Chadian public and private schools.
Kazakhstan	Yes	Uniforms are worn in Kazakhstani schools. In January 2017, the Ministry of Education announced a ban on the wearing of religious symbols in schools.
Chile	Yes	In Chile, most schools have a uniform. Until 1930, it was uncommon for students to wear a uniform. Under the government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, all students became obliged to wear a school uniform. During the administration of Eduardo Frei Montalva, a unified uniform was introduced for all public and private schools and other education centers.
Somalia	Yes	In the Somali Democratic Republic era, uniforms were worn widely in Somali schools.
Senegal	Yes	In 2021, the Senegalese government announced plans to generalise the wearing of compulsory school uniforms in all public and private schools by 2023.
Ecuador	Yes	School uniforms are mandatory in Ecuadorian public schools. In April 2018, the Ministry of Education ruled skirts cannot be made compulsory for female students.
Cambodia	Yes	In Cambodia, students of all ages (pre-school to college) wear school uniforms. The uniforms differ by school and age level.
Zimbabwe	Yes	School uniforms are worn in most Zimbabwean schools, but these policies are not legally mandated.
Guinea	Yes	School uniforms are worn in Guinean public schools.
Benin	Yes	School uniform is ubiquitous in Beninese schools. In June 2018, Minister of Secondary Education Mahougnon Kakpo announced khaki-colored uniforms would be worn by students in both public and private secondary schools.
Rwanda	Yes	Most Rwandan schools enforce a uniform policies.
Burundi	Yes	School uniforms are compulsory for school children in Burundi. Burundi, like most African countries, has a compulsory school uniform policy. Burundi's school uniform policy dates back to the colonial days.
Bolivia	Yes	Schools uniforms are worn in most Bolivian schools. However, schools cannot legally stop students who refuse to wear uniform from attending classes.
South Sudan	Yes	Students are required to wear uniforms in many schools across South Sudan.
Haiti	Yes	School uniforms are compulsory in Haitian schools.
Jordan	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory in Jordanian public schools.
Dominican Republic	Yes	School uniform is mandatory in Dominican public schools.
United Arab Emirates	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory in many schools across the United Arab Emirates.
Honduras	Yes	On 18 March 2014, the National Congress of Honduras approved a decree introducing a single uniform of white shirts and blue pants or skirts in all Honduran public schools.
Cuba	Yes	All Cuban school students are obliged to wear uniforms.
Tajikistan	Yes	School uniforms are worn in Tajikistani public schools.
Papua New Guinea	Yes	Papua New Guinean schools generally require uniforms.
Azerbaijan	Yes	School uniforms are mandatory across the Azerbaijani public school system.
Togo	Yes	Upon independence in 1960, Togolese public schools retained the mandatory khaki-coloured uniforms that were introduced during French colonial rule.
Belarus	Yes	In August 2022, education minister Andrei Ivanyets announced plans for every Belarusian school to have its own compulsory school uniform by 2023.
Sierra Leone	Yes	Uniforms are prevalent in Sierra Leonean schools.
Laos	Yes	School uniforms are worn in Laotian schools.
Turkmenistan	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory in Turkmenstani schools.
Libya	Yes	Uniforms are worn in Libyan schools.
Hong Kong	Yes	The vast majority of schools in the former British colony adopted uniforms similar to that of British schools, while Catholic schools in Hong Kong usually follow the tradition of Catholic school uniforms.
Kyrgyzstan	Yes	The first recorded use of school uniform in Kyrgyz schools was in 1918. In the Kyrgyz Republic, school uniforms are worn by students throughout the public education system.
Paraguay	Yes	Paraguayan schools started to introduce uniforms at the end of the 19th century.
Nicaragua	Yes	On 18 September 1979, an administrative decree introduced a mandatory uniform of white shirts and blue pants or skirts in all Nicaraguan public and private schools.
Republic of the Congo	Yes	In October 2016, the Ministry of Education instituted a standardised uniform in all public and private schools across the Republic of the Congo.
El Salvador	Yes	In El Salvador, all students from public schools and private schools are required to wear uniforms.
Lebanon	Yes	In Lebanon, most schools adopt school uniforms. They are usually composed of a shirt (usually with a pattern) and/or a polo shirt, a jumper, skirts for girls and trousers for boys. Some public schools do not require school uniforms.
Liberia	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory in Liberian schools. In October 2021, the Ministry of Education rebuked certain private and faith-based schools for compelling students to purchase uniforms directly from the institutions.
Finland	Yes	In the mid-20th century, the former Hallituskatu Girls' School enforced a compulsory school uniform. According to the Board of Education, under current Finnish law, public school students cannot be obliged to wear school uniforms.
Central African Republic	Yes	In April 1979, Bokassa I ordered the arrest of a group of students protesting the extravagant cost of their mandatory school uniforms, over 100 of whom were later murdered. Public anger over the massacre contributed to Bokassa's subsequent overthrow in September 1980. As of 2006, school uniforms are widely worn in Central African secondary schools.
Oman	Yes	In March 2019, the Ministry of Education announced Omani public school students would be required to wear dishdashas for the 2019/2020 academic year.
Mauritania	Yes	In August 2021, education minister Maa El-ainine Ould Eyih announced a compulsory uniform would be imposed in all Mauritanian public schools.
Ireland	Yes	In Ireland, almost all primary and secondary schools require students to wear a uniform.
New Zealand	Yes	Traditionally, many New Zealand intermediate and high schools, and state-integrated and private primary schools, have followed the British system of school uniforms.
Costa Rica	Yes	School uniform is mandatory in Costa Rica from pre-school through secondary school.
Kuwait	Yes	Most schools in Kuwait have a uniform.
Panama	Yes	School uniform is mandatory in Panamanian schools. A Ministry of Education decree temporarily relaxing these rules for the 2022 academic year caused controversy, with parents fearing it would lead to a rise in bullying.
Eritrea	Yes	School uniforms are mandatory in Eritrea.
Mongolia	Yes	In Mongolia, school uniforms are widespread in the public school system.
Uruguay	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory in all Uruguayan public schools.
Puerto Rico	Yes	In Puerto Rico, the Department of Education requires all students to wear school uniforms, with only medical exemptions.
Qatar	Yes	Qatari public and private schools require students to wear uniform.
Namibia	Yes	School uniforms are common in almost every school in Namibia, both private and state.
Moldova	Yes	In 2018, the Democratic Party of Moldova called for all Moldovan schools to adopt school uniform policies. The Ministry of Education backed the call but stressed uniforms could not be made mandatory.
Gambia	Yes	All pupils attending Gambians schools are required to wear uniforms
Albania	Yes	School uniforms have been compulsory in Albanian high schools since 2009.
Gabon	Yes	School uniforms are widely worn in Gabon. A ban on Gabonese schools compelling students to buy uniforms directly from the institutions has led to some students making their own uniforms.
Botswana	Yes	School uniforms are widespread in Botswanan schools. In October 2021, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry announced a ban on the importation of school uniform.
Lesotho	Yes	In Lesotho school uniforms are still compulsory. Many poor families can not afford them, which is one of the reasons for the high dropout rate in primary schools.
Guinea-Bissau	Yes	In October 2020, it was announced a standardized uniform would be introduced across all Bissau-Guinean public and private schools.
Equatorial Guinea	Yes	All Equatoguinean school students must wear uniforms.
Bahrain	Yes	Uniforms are mandatory in all Bahraini public schools. Prior to 2011, this only applied to girls' schools and boys' elementaries. In January 2011, the Ministry of Education announced uniforms would be required in boys' middle and high schools in the subsequent academic year.
Trinidad and Tobago	Yes	School uniforms are worn in all Trinidadian and Tobagonian public schools.
Timor-Leste	Yes	School uniforms were compulsory during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. Following independence, the use of uniforms persisted.
Cyprus	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory in Cypriot schools.
Mauritius	Yes	School uniforms in Mauritius are generally compulsory. Mauritius being a former British colony, has been using the system from back then. The students have to wear uniforms from primary school until higher secondary level. However, there are a few private schools that are based on the French system and do not require the student to wear school uniform.
Eswatini	Yes	School uniforms are compulsory in all Emaswati schools. In July 2000, Senator Majahenkhaba Dlamini instructed the education minister to issue a directive compelling schoolgirls aged eleven and older to wear knee-length uniform skirts, ostensibly to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Djibouti	Yes	Uniform is compulsory in Djiboutian schools. In 2020, presidential decree N° 267/2018 imposed a standardised beige uniform in all high schools.
Fiji	Yes	Uniform is compulsory in Fijian public schools. In January 2022, the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts relaxed this rule for the first three months of the academic year.
Comoros	Yes	Comorian schools require uniforms.
Reunion	Yes	As of 2012, Collège Sainte-Geneviève in Saint-André is the only Réunionese school to operate a uniform policy: students are obliged to wear logoed white T-shirts.
Solomon Islands	Yes	Solomon Islander schoolchildren wear uniforms.
Guyana	Yes	Guyana has a long history of school uniforms being compulsory. Students attending public and private schools up to the secondary level are required to wear them. In some instances, this extends to those attending classes on Saturdays and during periods when schools are officially closed. The Guyanese government dispenses grants to assist students with uniform costs.
Bhutan	Yes	Bhutanese schoolchildren wear uniforms based on the country's national dress: gho for male students and kira for female students.
Macau	Yes	School uniforms are worn in Macanese schools from kindergarten onwards.
Suriname	Yes	School uniform is compulsory in Surinamese schools.
Malta	Yes	Children in Malta are obliged to wear school uniforms.
Maldives	Yes	School uniforms are widely worn in the Maldives.
Cape Verde	Yes	School uniform is worn in Cape Verdean schools from pre-school through secondary school.
Brunei	Yes	School uniforms are worn in Bruneian public and religious schools.
Belize	Yes	School uniform is mandatory in Belizean schools. Traditionally, many students' uniforms were custom-made by local seamstresses and tailors.
Bahamas	Yes	As a former British colony, school uniforms are worn throughout Bahamian public and private schools.
Guadeloupe	Yes	Use of uniforms and dress codes have become widespread in Guadeloupean schools.
Vanuatu	Yes	School uniforms are widely worn in Ni-Vanuatu schools.
French Guiana	Yes	French Guianan schools enforce a standardised uniform of colored T-shirts and blue pants.
New Caledonia	Yes	In 2017, uniform polo shirts were made compulsory for students attending all 96 primary schools in New Caledonia's South Province.
Barbados	Yes	School uniforms are mandatory in Bajan schools.
Sao Tome and Principe	Yes	São Toméan schools require students to wear uniforms.
Samoa	Yes	School uniforms are mandatory in Samoan schools.
Curacao	Yes	School uniforms are compulsory in Curaçaoan public schools.
Saint Lucia	Yes	School uniforms are worn in Saint Lucian schools.
Guam	Yes	Since 2008, Board Policy 401 has made school uniform mandatory in all Guam Department of Education public schools.
Kiribati	Yes	Uniforms are worn in I-Kiribati schools.
Seychelles	Yes	Uniforms are compulsory in Seychellois schools.
Grenada	Yes	Uniforms are worn in all Grenadian public schools. The Grenadian government runs an annual School Uniform Voucher Programme to help students' families meet the associated costs.
Aruba	Yes	Aruban schools generally oblige students to wear uniform polo shirts, while pants and skirts must meet certain requirements. In September 2021, students at Colegio Arubano successfully protested against changes to the school dress code they felt were overly restrictive.
Tonga	Yes	In Tonga all schools require a uniform.
Antigua and Barbuda	Yes	School uniforms are ubiquitous in Antiguan and Barbudan schools. In 2004, the School Uniform Grant Programme was introduced to help citizens meet the associated costs.
United States Virgin Islands	Yes	Schools on the United States Virgin Islands require uniforms.
Cayman Islands	Yes	All Caymanian primary and high schools, whether government-funded or private, have specified school uniforms, as well as shoe and hat policies.
Dominica	Yes	Uniform is mandatory in Dominican schools. When the island's schools were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, education minister Octavia Alfred announced students would be obliged to wear their uniforms while participating in online classes.
Bermuda	Yes	As a British Overseas Territory, schools uniforms are ubiquitous in Bermudan schools.
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Yes	School uniform is mandatory in Kittian and Nevisian schools. The government operates a School Uniform Assistance Programme to help citizens meet the associated costs.
Turks and Caicos Islands	Yes	School uniforms are worn by students at all levels throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands.
American Samoa	Yes	All public school students in American Samoa wear school uniforms.
Sint Maarten	Yes	School uniforms are compulsory in Sint Maarten schools.
Northern Mariana Islands	Yes	In 2009, Hopwood Middle School on Saipan introduced a mandatory school uniform, requiring students to wear blue or gold shirts.
British Virgin Islands	Yes	Both public high schools on the British Virgin Islands, Elmore Stoutt High School and The Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies, enforce uniform policies.
Monaco	Yes	School uniform has been compulsory in Monegasque primary schools since 2019.
Marshall Islands	Yes	Marshallese schoolchildren wear uniforms.
Saint Martin	Yes	Uniforms are worn in Saint-Martinois schools.
Palau	Yes	School uniform is compulsory for Palauan schoolchildren.
Anguilla	Yes	Anguillan schools oblige students to wear uniforms.
Cook Islands	Yes	Owing to its British colonial heritage, schools in the Cook Islands require uniforms.
Nauru	Yes	Nauruan schools require students to wear uniforms.
Saint Barthelemy	Yes	Collège Mireille-Choisy, Saint Barthélemy's only public secondary school, enforces a dress code requiring students to wear a logoed T-shirt and prohibiting certain types of legwear and footwear.
Tuvalu	Yes	Section 10.2.1 of Tuvalu's National Education Policy obliges all children attending public schools to wear the approved national school uniform.
Montserrat	Yes	Students attending Montserrat Secondary School, the island’s only high school, wear uniforms.
Tokelau	Yes	All three schools in Tokelau enforce uniform policies.
Niue	Yes	Niue's sole primary and secondary schools both require uniforms.
Turkey	Varies	School uniforms were officially abolished on 27 November 2012, but students attending minority schools (Greeks, Jews, and Armenians) are still required to wear school uniforms.
United Kingdom	Varied	While school uniform is common in the United Kingdom, there is no legislation enforcing it in any of the three separate legal jurisdictions of England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and enforcement of school uniform policy and dress codes is generally for individual schools to determine.
South Korea	Varied	Almost all South Korean secondary students wear a uniform called "gyobok". The majority of elementary schools, except some private ones, do not have uniforms; however, the uniform is strictly monitored from the start of middle school and up.
Afghanistan	Varied	In the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Afghan schoolgirls were required to wear white headscarves and black knee-length dresses over leggings. In 2017, President Ashraf Ghani blocked a directive by the Ministry of Education obliging girls aged 12 and over to wear floor-length tunics.
Saudi Arabia	Varied	In August 2015, ahead of the 2015-16 academic year, new standardised uniforms were introduced for all girls studying in Saudi public schools, Quran memorization schools and schools for illiterate adult women.
Australia	Varied	In Australia, each school or school system can set its own uniform policy. Wearing a uniform is compulsory in most Australian private and all Catholic schools, as well as in most public schools, as well as primary schools. Uniforms usually have a colour scheme based on the school colours.
Guatemala	Varied	In 2008, Álvaro Colom prohibited the enforcement of mandatory school uniform policies in Guatemalan public schools. However, the use of school uniform remains widespread.
Tunisia	Varied	As of 2017, Tunisian public high schools enforce dress codes which apply exclusively to female students, obliging them to wear long blue gilets.
Israel	Varied	According to former Education Minister Limor Livnat, about 1,400 Israeli public schools require pupils to wear uniforms. School uniforms used to be the norm in the state's early days, but have since fallen out of favor. However, in recent years, the number of schools using school uniforms has been increasing once more.
Palestine	Varied	In 2019, the Hamas administration in Gaza imposed a new dress code on schoolgirls aged under 17. The previous public school uniform of a skirt and a denim shirt was replaced by black or navy abayas, plain colored shoes and headscarves.
Latvia	Varied	On 11 November 1928, a standardised school uniform was introduced across all Latvian schools: for girls, a dark blue dress with a white collar and dark apron; for boys, a dark suit with a high collar. Uniforms continued to be mandatory throughout the Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic era. After largely falling out of use following independence, many schools have readopted uniform policies in the early 21st century.
North Macedonia	Varied	In September 2014, school uniform was made compulsory for all elementary students in the Municipality of Aerodrom in Skopje. Several secondary schools in Skopje also enforce uniform policies.
Estonia	Varied	In the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, mandatory school uniforms were introduced in the late 1950s. Uniforms were initially abandoned at the end of the 1980s but had already come back into use in some schools by the mid-1990s. This trend continued into the 2010s.
Iceland	Varied	School uniforms are worn in some Icelandic primary schools.
Martinique	Varied	As of 2014, a third of the 345 schools on the French overseas department Martinique impose a non-compulsory uniform policy.
French Polynesia	Varied	In 2012, French Polynesia's Minister of Education Tauhiti Nena ordered the overseas collectivity's public schools to adopt mandatory uniform policies. The following October, the Court of Administrative Law annulled the order, by which stage 24 schools had adopted uniform policies. As of August 2015, 13 schools retained these policies.
Micronesia	Varied	The use of school uniforms is sporadic in Micronesian public schools.
United States	No	Public schools in the United States do not require uniforms. More traditional private schools and other specialized schools sometimes require an informal uniform, called a standardized dress code. Policy regarding school-appropriate dress, and the extent of enforcement, will vary by school and school district. Progressive private schools do not require school uniforms.
Brazil	No	There is no legal requirement for school uniforms in Brazil. On a state-by-state or city-by-city basis, governments may issue uniforms to public school pupils but may not require their use. Private schools are free to set their own uniform policy.
Russia	No	Each school can now choose its own uniform. Also, there are many instances in which schools do not enforce the rules on school uniform. Generally, schools without school uniforms enforce dress-code, with "business-casual" style of clothes.
Germany	No	There is no tradition of wearing school uniforms in Germany, and today, almost all students of state schools, private schools or universities do not wear school uniforms.
France	No	Uniforms have not been enforced in French schools, a few exceptions (such as Maison d'éducation de la Légion d'honneur, les Écoles TUNON, and Vatel).
Italy	No	In Italy, school uniforms are uncommon, partially because child uniforms are associated with the era of Benito Mussolini before World War II when children were placed according to their age into Italian Fascist youth movements and had to wear uniforms inside and outside school.
Spain	No	In Spain, the use of school uniforms is not compulsory in public schools at any specific point.
Canada	No	In Canada, English language schools in the province of Quebec is the only segment where school uniforms is most common. Within the English school system of Quebec, almost all schools from elementary to high school have mandatory school uniforms. French school, which represents the majority in the province, generally do not have uniforms except for a minority of private schools.
Ukraine	No	In June 2019, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repealed a 1996 decree that had obliged Ukrainian secondary school students to wear compulsory uniforms.
Poland	No	School uniforms are not compulsory in Poland and absent from the vast majority of Polish schools.
Mali	No	Unlike most African countries, uniforms are not mandatory in Malian public schools. However, they are compulsory in private schools.
Romania	No	School uniforms were introduced to Romania in 1897 by academician Theodor Costescu when they worn by students in Turnu Severin. Its use broadened in tandem with Spiru Haret's educational reforms in the 1900s. Uniforms fell out of favour somewhat in the 1990s due to their association with the Socialist Republic of Romania.
Netherlands	No	School uniforms are very rare in the Dutch education system. Their use is confined to international and private schools.
Belgium	No	As of 2018, less than ten Belgian schools (principally Catholic institutions) enforced compulsory school uniform policies.
Sweden	No	Uniforms are exceptionally rare in Swedish schools, being limited to independent and international schools such as Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket and the Nordic International School.
Portugal	No	Students are required to wear uniforms at most Portuguese private schools, especially those in Lisbon and Porto. Use in state schools is rare.
Greece	No	Uniforms ceased to be worn in Greek public schools in 1982. Their use is now confined to certain private and international schools.
Hungary	No	School uniforms are not currently worn in Hungarian public schools.
Austria	No	Austrian public schools do not generally employ dress codes.
Switzerland	No	In Switzerland, use of school uniforms is limited to international and other private schools.
Bulgaria	No	School uniform is not widely worn in Bulgarian public schools, although several schools adopted compulsory uniform policies in the 2010s.
Serbia	No	In September 2017, at least 100 primary schools had adopted school uniforms. Since then, the municipality of Medijana has annually provided cohorts of new primary school students with uniforms at the start of the academic year.
Denmark	No	Herlufsholm School is the only school in Denmark with a compulsory school uniform.
Norway	No	School uniforms are generally absent from the Norwegian education system, except in certain international schools.
Slovakia	No	In Slovakia, use of school uniforms is confined to private and international schools.
Croatia	No	In Croatian schools, children generally do not wear uniforms. Their use is confined to independent schools, such as those operated by the parent-run Rino Institut.
Georgia	No	School uniforms are not widely worn in Georgian schools.
Bosnia and Herzegovina	No	As of 2013, several primary schools in Republika Srpska regions had introduced uniforms, consisting of logoed T-shirts and sweatshirts.
Armenia	No	In the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, students wore school uniform. Since independence in 1991, their use has largely declined in Armenian public schools.
Slovenia	No	Since 1991, use of school uniform in Slovenia has been limited to private institutions, such as British International School of Ljubljana.
Luxembourg	No	Luxembourg has no history of school uniforms in its public and private school systems.
Montenegro	No	School uniforms are not widely worn in Montenegro.
Andorra	No	School uniforms are not generally worn in Andorra. Their use is confined to the principality’s international schools.
Liechtenstein	No	School uniforms are not widely worn in Liechtenstein.

Data pertains to public/government-run schools. Private schools and academies may require uniforms even in schools marked ‘no’, where uniforms are not required in public/government-run schools.

Although school uniforms have been a hot topic of global discussion for many years, their implementation is still fairly common worldwide because of the potential benefits they bring to the table.

The requirement of school uniforms is frequently linked to a reduction in peer pressure and bullying, increased affordability for families, improved learning, better attendance, and higher graduation rates. Uniforms can also help eliminate distractions and put the focus back on education.

However, the prevalence of school uniforms can vary greatly from one country to another. Here’s a look at the differences, as well as a few related factors.

Global Differences in School Uniform Prevalence

Although some nations mandate the wearing of school uniforms while others allow students to wear clothing of their choice, uniform use still occurs in countries all over the world in 2023.

Mixed Implementation in the West

Western countries are generally the most likely to have mixed approaches to school uniforms. For example, uniforms are still widely required at private schools in the United States but not necessarily public schools.

School uniforms are also part of longstanding educational traditions in many Western countries, including but not limited to Ireland, Great Britain, Malta, and multiple other nations across Europe. They are common in all of these countries and may be mandated in certain regions.

Common Implementation in Asia

In many Asian countries, school uniforms carry strong associations with culturally significant concepts like discipline, identity, and time-honored tradition. They are highly prevalent in countries like Japan, Korea, and China for that reason.

Mandatory Implementation in Parts of Latin America

Although this isn’t the case across the entirety of Latin America, school uniforms are sometimes mandatory in countries in this part of the world. In nations where this is the case, the uniforms tend to be relatively simple to ensure they’re relatively easy to access and afford.

Implementation of school uniforms tends to be mixed across additional parts of the world, including in many African countries.

Factors Linked to Global School Uniform Prevalence

Multiple factors both affect and are affected by the prevalence of options like school uniforms in different countries. For example, countries where discipline and cohesive group identity are valued and encouraged are more likely to widely implement school uniforms.

A country’s policies on school uniforms can also definitely have an impact on educational access, with the use of uniforms linked to greater equity within the system.