School uniform market 58.61 billion USD: Which countries use it, which don't?

Compulsory uniforms for high school students are a common practice in many countries from East to West because of the many benefits it brings, from achievement to positive behavior in the school environment.

Chinese students in uniform take the 2025 gaokao

PHOTO: WANG JING

Variety of uniform regulations

According to a study published in early 2024 by Ryan and colleagues in the journal Health and Sports Sciences , of the 135 countries and territories surveyed, most have uniform regulations in place at the secondary level. Specifically, these countries have more than 50% of primary schools (for children aged 6 to under 12) and secondary schools (for children aged 12 to under 18) that require students to wear uniforms to school.

Countries that do not have a national uniform policy also have many that require students to wear uniforms at the state or city level. In the United States, for example, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that in the 2019-2020 school year, 18.8% of public schools required students to wear uniforms while 44% had a "strict" dress code, according to a 2022 survey.

According to US News , many schools ban clothing such as hoodies, loose-fitting jackets, and baseball caps because they can conceal illegal substances, weapons, and make identification difficult. Although there is no mandatory uniform policy, according to federal law, clothing regulations cannot be discriminatory based on gender, race, religion, etc.

Shirts, ties and blazers with school logos are common uniforms in Western countries.

PHOTO: PEXELS

In the United States, uniforms were once only popular in private and religious schools. However, since the 1990s, uniforms have been introduced in public schools, first as a way to prevent students from getting involved in gangs, and then because of their effectiveness in improving academic performance.

However, the difference in uniforms in the US is that there are many options for shirts and pants. For example, in the Linden Public School District in New Jersey, since September, all students are required to wear uniforms with the school district logo printed on them. Specifically, the top part is only required to be a polo shirt but can be black, navy or orange, and can be short-sleeved or long-sleeved; while the bottom part is free to choose from many different types of pants, as long as it is no shorter than 5cm above the knee, according to North Jersey .

This move follows the actions of a series of other school districts across the United States in recent years (a school district is an agency that manages public high schools in a city or a district within a city - PV).

Meanwhile, in Japan, uniforms are quite diverse and are considered symbols in popular culture, from gakuran, blazers to sailor uniforms. However, in many areas, uniform regulations are quite strict, not only giving mandatory choices about clothing but also making a list of allowed hairstyles or colors of underwear, or regulations when wearing uniforms such as having to tuck in, wearing what type on what occasion...

Sailor shirt typical of Japanese schoolgirls

PHOTO: PEXELS

However, the government or school board has begun to adjust the regulations in recent years, from eliminating regulations on hairstyles, underwear... to allowing the wearing of gender-neutral uniforms, even "freely" wearing casual clothes such as T-shirts and shorts, according to the Japan Times . This helps teachers not to be exhausted when having to force students to follow the rules as well as reduce unnecessary conflicts with parents and students.

While these changes have upset some, they have generally been well received by the general public, especially since uniforms are not cheap. "With uniforms, students usually wear them without thinking about anything, but when they are allowed to wear free clothes, they will consider the weather and the situation. For example, 'It's hot today' or 'It's raining.' I want them to develop that kind of thinking," a public school principal told the Mainichi Shimbun .

Only a few countries do not require uniforms, mostly European and North American countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Latvia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Belarus, United States and Canada. Japan only applies uniforms to secondary schools, not elementary schools.

Uniforms in major economies

In Europe, the UK is one of the few countries where students wear uniforms to school, although the government does not require it, only recommends it. According to the UK Department for Education, school boards have the right to decide on uniform policies but must follow official guidelines from the ministry. According to a study published by the UK Department for Education in 2024, although the cost of uniforms is on the decline, it is still a concern for parents.

The two Western island nations of Australia and New Zealand also require students to wear uniforms to school, each with its own design. According to the South Australian government, uniforms are designed to protect the health and safety of students and encourage them to participate in school activities. Uniforms ensure the well-being of students by reducing socio-economic disparities, the government statement added.

Variety of uniform designs at New Zealand secondary schools

PHOTO: ENZ

Meanwhile, in Asia, China considers uniforms an integral part of its national education system. China has now issued a set of national standards for the production of school uniforms, which state that uniforms must be purchased on a voluntary basis and that schools must encourage students to participate in designing the uniforms. Shenzhen City even issued a policy to standardize and unify uniforms for all middle and high schools since 2002, according to the Global Times .

Looking back at history, China Daily reported that uniforms were first introduced in China after the country’s heavy defeat in the Second Opium War (1856-1860) and have undergone many different design changes, depending on social and political changes. Many issues related to uniforms have also been discussed, such as in 2017, a school in Fujian had to ban students from wearing imported sneakers because students constantly competed with each other with expensive shoes when everyone’s uniform was the same.

Uniform market size expected to be 58.61 billion USD by 2031

According to a report on September 12 by US-based The Insight Partners , the school uniform market is expected to reach $38.88 billion by 2024 and $58.61 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.1%. Smart uniforms are becoming popular thanks to their ability to track students’ health indicators in real time and support attendance.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-truong-dong-phuc-hoc-sinh-5861-ti-usd-nuoc-nao-su-dung-noi-nao-khong-185250914094829597.htm