Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years was 6.79 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Bangladesh, 1974–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2021, mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Bangladesh stood at 6.79.
That represents a change of down 4.4% on the previous year and up 30.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Bangladesh peaked at 7.1 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.23, in 1974.
That places Bangladesh 106th out of 124 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 1.23 | — |
| 1981 | 2.07 | +68.2% |
| 2001 | 4.4 | +112.2% |
| 2011 | 5.2 | +18.2% |
| 2012 | 5.3 | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 5.06 | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 5.19 | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 5.99 | +15.2% |
| 2016 | 6.11 | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 6.27 | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 6.39 | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 6.55 | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 7.1 | +8.3% |
| 2021 | 6.79 | -4.4% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 6.79 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 7.37, 92% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Bangladesh changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +112.2% | 2.07 | 4.4 |
| 1981 | +68.2% | 1.23 | 2.07 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.23 | 1.23 | 1.23 | 1 |
| 1980s | 2.07 | 2.07 | 2.07 | 1 |
| 2000s | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 1 |
| 2010s | 5.79 | 5.06 | 6.55 | 9 |
| 2020s | 6.94 | 6.79 | 7.1 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Bangladesh?
- Mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Bangladesh was 6.79 in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 7.1 in 2020.
- What is the lowest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.23 in 1974.
- How does Bangladesh rank for mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years?
- Bangladesh ranks 106th out of 124 countries with data for 2021.
- Is mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years, both sexes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release