19-year-olds without Level 2 or Level 3 qualifications (2004/05-2021/22)
Qualification levels of 19-year-olds have significantly improved over time. This is particularly evident in Inner London where the proportion of 19-year-olds without Level 3 qualifications (A Levels and equivalents) has fallen from 61.1% in 2004/05 to 29.4% in 2021/22. However, the COVID-19 pandemic could have had an impact on the data entries of the last two years, with school closures and changes in the means of assessment.
As a result of this, 19 year-olds in Inner London now perform on a par with young people in Outer London and better than their peers in the rest of England (where 41.1% of 19-year-olds lack Level 3 qualifications).
A similar trend can be seen in Level 2 qualifications (the equivalent of GCSEs), although the proportion of 19-year-olds without these qualifications (in London and the rest of England) has risen slightly since 2014/15.