School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes (years) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
200
Highest
13.41 years
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Lowest
4.09 years
Equatorial Guinea
Median
8.92 years
Years covered
45
1981–2025
Data points
10,349
What the numbers show
School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes (years) is currently reported for 200 countries. The highest value is 13.41 years in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the lowest is 4.09 years in Equatorial Guinea.
The median across all reporting countries is 8.92 years, and the mean is 8.89 years.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 3.
Over the past decade 84 countries rose and 116 fell. The largest increase was in Central African Republic (up 59.7%), and the largest decrease in Tokelau (down 35.7%).
School life expectancy, primary and lower … life both sexes lower: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 13.41 years | 2023 | up 16.1% | rising |
| 2 | Sierra Leone | 13.07 years | 2024 | up 46.1% | rising |
| 3 | Monaco | 11.96 years | 2024 | down 10.5% | flat |
| 4 | Namibia | 11.93 years | 2024 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 5 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 11.82 years | 2024 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 6 | Eswatini | 11.55 years | 2016 | up 16.2% | rising |
| 7 | Antigua and Barbuda | 11.49 years | 2023 | down 2.2% | falling |
| 8 | Bhutan | 11.31 years | 2024 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 9 | Australia | 11.25 years | 2024 | down 5.9% | falling |
| 10 | Rwanda | 11.23 years | 2024 | up 11.4% | rising |
| 11 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 11.22 years | 2024 | up 38.4% | rising |
| 12 | Fiji | 11.07 years | 2024 | up 14.1% | rising |
| 13 | Cook Islands | 10.99 years | 2024 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 14 | Grenada | 10.97 years | 2024 | up 0.0% | falling |
| 15 | Ireland | 10.95 years | 2022 | down 3.3% | flat |
| 16 | Tonga | 10.88 years | 2024 | down 13.3% | rising |
| 17 | Montserrat | 10.75 years | 2023 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 18 | Aruba | 10.68 years | 2024 | up 2.2% | rising |
| 19 | Niue | 10.6 years | 2024 | up 13.5% | rising |
| 20 | Anguilla | 10.58 years | 2023 | up 4.9% | falling |
| 21 | Denmark | 10.54 years | 2024 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 22 | Algeria | 10.49 years | 2024 | down 5.1% | rising |
| 23 | Botswana | 10.48 years | 2022 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 24 | Morocco | 10.35 years | 2024 | up 13.1% | rising |
| 25 | Germany | 10.29 years | 2024 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 26 | Dominica | 10.2 years | 2023 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 27 | Papua New Guinea | 10.2 years | 2023 | up 32.8% | rising |
| 28 | Peru | 10.19 years | 2024 | up 8.8% | flat |
| 29 | Sao Tome and Principe | 10.17 years | 2017 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 30 | Argentina | 10.16 years | 2023 | down 5.1% | flat |
| 31 | Netherlands | 10.15 years | 2023 | down 3.0% | flat |
| 32 | Vanuatu | 10.14 years | 2023 | down 5.2% | rising |
| 33 | Lithuania | 10.14 years | 2024 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 34 | Tuvalu | 10.1 years | 2024 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 35 | Togo | 10.1 years | 2023 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 36 | Venezuela | 10.07 years | 2024 | up 12.0% | rising |
| 37 | Maldives | 10.04 years | 2023 | up 4.0% | falling |
| 38 | Sweden | 10.02 years | 2024 | down 1.3% | rising |
| 39 | Portugal | 10 years | 2023 | down 0.2% | falling |
| 40 | Cote d'Ivoire | 10 years | 2024 | up 42.3% | rising |
| 41 | Andorra | 9.99 years | 2024 | up 12.6% | flat |
| 42 | Malawi | 9.98 years | 2023 | down 6.1% | flat |
| 43 | Norway | 9.98 years | 2024 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 44 | Mexico | 9.95 years | 2024 | down 3.8% | rising |
| 45 | Uruguay | 9.93 years | 2023 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 46 | Mauritius | 9.92 years | 2024 | up 8.8% | flat |
| 47 | New Zealand | 9.86 years | 2024 | down 1.3% | flat |
| 48 | Iceland | 9.82 years | 2023 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 49 | Albania | 9.81 years | 2024 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 50 | Trinidad and Tobago | 9.81 years | 2024 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 51 | Jordan | 9.77 years | 2024 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 52 | Belize | 9.75 years | 2024 | down 6.3% | flat |
| 53 | Zambia | 9.71 years | 2024 | up 10.6% | rising |
| 54 | Hong Kong | 9.68 years | 2024 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 55 | Uzbekistan | 9.68 years | 2025 | up 13.2% | flat |
| 56 | Costa Rica | 9.67 years | 2024 | down 2.1% | rising |
| 57 | Nauru | 9.58 years | 2025 | down 2.1% | rising |
| 58 | Cape Verde | 9.56 years | 2022 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 59 | Lesotho | 9.56 years | 2017 | down 6.0% | rising |
| 60 | United Kingdom | 9.54 years | 2023 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 61 | Colombia | 9.51 years | 2022 | down 6.6% | flat |
| 62 | Spain | 9.51 years | 2024 | down 2.2% | falling |
| 63 | Libya | 9.5 years | 2006 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 64 | Luxembourg | 9.48 years | 2024 | up 1.9% | flat |
| 65 | Saint Lucia | 9.48 years | 2024 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 66 | Cyprus | 9.46 years | 2024 | up 6.5% | flat |
| 67 | Nepal | 9.42 years | 2024 | down 3.8% | rising |
| 68 | Myanmar | 9.42 years | 2018 | up 22.9% | rising |
| 69 | Russia | 9.42 years | 2023 | up 11.1% | rising |
| 70 | Montenegro | 9.41 years | 2023 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 71 | Tunisia | 9.4 years | 2023 | down 1.0% | flat |
| 72 | East Timor | 9.39 years | 2020 | down 9.9% | flat |
| 73 | Brazil | 9.39 years | 2024 | down 3.1% | flat |
| 74 | Saudi Arabia | 9.37 years | 2024 | up 2.5% | falling |
| 75 | Mozambique | 9.36 years | 2017 | up 6.4% | rising |
| 76 | Oman | 9.32 years | 2024 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 77 | Gibraltar | 9.3 years | 2024 | down 8.1% | flat |
| 78 | Belgium | 9.29 years | 2023 | down 2.3% | flat |
| 79 | China | 9.28 years | 2012 | up 9.6% | rising |
| 80 | Greece | 9.22 years | 2023 | up 3.2% | flat |
| 81 | South Africa | 9.22 years | 2023 | down 1.4% | rising |
| 82 | Switzerland | 9.21 years | 2024 | down 1.1% | falling |
| 83 | France | 9.19 years | 2024 | up 1.1% | flat |
| 84 | Liechtenstein | 9.17 years | 2021 | down 2.1% | flat |
| 85 | Vietnam | 9.13 years | 2023 | up 4.6% | flat |
| 86 | Japan | 9.1 years | 2023 | up 0.6% | flat |
| 87 | Kuwait | 9.09 years | 2012 | up 16.0% | rising |
| 88 | Slovakia | 9.08 years | 2024 | up 3.7% | flat |
| 89 | Afghanistan | 9.05 years | 2023 | up 6.9% | rising |
| 90 | Thailand | 9.02 years | 2025 | down 7.4% | rising |
| 91 | Congo | 9.02 years | 2012 | up 14.4% | rising |
| 92 | Georgia | 9.01 years | 2024 | down 8.9% | flat |
| 93 | Finland | 9 years | 2024 | down 0.2% | flat |
| 94 | Czechia | 8.98 years | 2023 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 95 | Slovenia | 8.98 years | 2023 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 96 | Indonesia | 8.98 years | 2025 | down 5.1% | flat |
| 97 | South Korea | 8.97 years | 2024 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 98 | Armenia | 8.95 years | 2024 | up 12.7% | rising |
| 99 | Estonia | 8.94 years | 2024 | down 0.5% | falling |
| 100 | Philippines | 8.94 years | 2024 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 101 | Azerbaijan | 8.91 years | 2024 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 102 | Latvia | 8.9 years | 2024 | down 2.2% | flat |
| 103 | Guyana | 8.89 years | 2024 | down 7.9% | flat |
| 104 | Iran | 8.89 years | 2023 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 105 | Madagascar | 8.88 years | 2021 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 106 | Malta | 8.88 years | 2023 | down 2.7% | falling |
| 107 | Dominican Republic | 8.86 years | 2024 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 108 | Kazakhstan | 8.85 years | 2025 | up 4.6% | flat |
| 109 | Cameroon | 8.83 years | 2023 | down 7.2% | rising |
| 110 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8.82 years | 2023 | up 11.0% | rising |
| 111 | Nicaragua | 8.81 years | 2023 | down 8.6% | flat |
| 112 | Israel | 8.8 years | 2024 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 113 | United States | 8.79 years | 2022 | down 1.8% | flat |
| 114 | Kiribati | 8.78 years | 2024 | down 6.3% | rising |
| 115 | Ghana | 8.76 years | 2024 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 116 | Ecuador | 8.74 years | 2023 | down 9.5% | rising |
| 117 | Qatar | 8.72 years | 2024 | down 0.1% | flat |
| 118 | Cuba | 8.71 years | 2024 | down 3.8% | flat |
| 119 | Cambodia | 8.71 years | 2024 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 120 | Cayman Islands | 8.68 years | 2024 | down 2.3% | falling |
| 121 | Bahrain | 8.68 years | 2024 | down 8.2% | flat |
| 122 | Canada | 8.66 years | 2023 | down 3.6% | rising |
| 123 | Egypt | 8.66 years | 2024 | up 9.2% | rising |
| 124 | Kyrgyzstan | 8.65 years | 2025 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 125 | Iraq | 8.62 years | 2023 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 126 | North Macedonia | 8.6 years | 2023 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 127 | Belarus | 8.59 years | 2024 | down 4.3% | flat |
| 128 | Benin | 8.58 years | 2022 | down 6.1% | rising |
| 129 | Mauritania | 8.58 years | 2024 | up 15.0% | rising |
| 130 | Croatia | 8.57 years | 2023 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 131 | Zimbabwe | 8.5 years | 2013 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 132 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 8.48 years | 2023 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 133 | Seychelles | 8.45 years | 2024 | down 21.2% | flat |
| 134 | Comoros | 8.44 years | 2022 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 135 | Mongolia | 8.44 years | 2024 | down 2.6% | rising |
| 136 | Tanzania | 8.44 years | 2021 | down 3.9% | rising |
| 137 | Tajikistan | 8.43 years | 2017 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 138 | Macao | 8.39 years | 2024 | down 8.8% | falling |
| 139 | Jamaica | 8.38 years | 2024 | up 0.9% | falling |
| 140 | Palestine | 8.36 years | 2023 | down 10.0% | flat |
| 141 | United Arab Emirates | 8.33 years | 2024 | up 10.0% | falling |
| 142 | Palau | 8.31 years | 2024 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 143 | Marshall Islands | 8.31 years | 2024 | down 18.3% | rising |
| 144 | India | 8.28 years | 2025 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 145 | Sri Lanka | 8.27 years | 2023 | down 5.8% | falling |
| 146 | Panama | 8.27 years | 2023 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 147 | Turkey | 8.25 years | 2023 | down 7.0% | rising |
| 148 | Gambia | 8.22 years | 2024 | up 23.2% | rising |
| 149 | Ukraine | 8.19 years | 2024 | down 7.0% | falling |
| 150 | Italy | 8.19 years | 2023 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 151 | Samoa | 8.14 years | 2023 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 152 | Austria | 8.12 years | 2024 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 153 | Guatemala | 8.11 years | 2024 | down 3.7% | rising |
| 154 | Paraguay | 8.1 years | 2024 | down 16.2% | falling |
| 155 | Chile | 8.06 years | 2024 | down 1.2% | flat |
| 156 | Hungary | 8.05 years | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 157 | Singapore | 8.04 years | 2023 | down 1.3% | flat |
| 158 | Barbados | 8.04 years | 2024 | down 10.4% | falling |
| 159 | Malaysia | 8 years | 2024 | down 5.0% | falling |
| 160 | Bermuda | 8 years | 2023 | down 9.2% | falling |
| 161 | Brunei | 7.96 years | 2023 | down 4.9% | falling |
| 162 | Bahamas | 7.89 years | 2024 | down 8.2% | falling |
| 163 | British Virgin Islands | 7.88 years | 2024 | down 23.0% | falling |
| 164 | Puerto Rico | 7.85 years | 2024 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 165 | Poland | 7.81 years | 2024 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 166 | El Salvador | 7.79 years | 2024 | down 13.5% | falling |
| 167 | Kenya | 7.79 years | 2023 | down 11.6% | rising |
| 168 | Serbia | 7.67 years | 2024 | down 4.3% | flat |
| 169 | Bolivia | 7.62 years | 2024 | down 3.4% | falling |
| 170 | Romania | 7.59 years | 2023 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 171 | Bangladesh | 7.57 years | 2024 | down 1.6% | rising |
| 172 | Suriname | 7.54 years | 2023 | down 23.4% | flat |
| 173 | San Marino | 7.52 years | 2024 | up 0.6% | flat |
| 174 | Guinea | 7.51 years | 2014 | up 25.6% | rising |
| 175 | Angola | 7.34 years | 2023 | down 20.0% | rising |
| 176 | Laos | 7.2 years | 2025 | down 17.7% | rising |
| 177 | Senegal | 7.19 years | 2023 | down 4.3% | rising |
| 178 | Burundi | 7.08 years | 2025 | down 27.1% | rising |
| 179 | Nigeria | 7.01 years | 2023 | up 2.4% | flat |
| 180 | Lebanon | 6.91 years | 2024 | up 3.0% | falling |
| 181 | Ethiopia | 6.89 years | 2023 | down 5.4% | rising |
| 182 | Solomon Islands | 6.87 years | 2024 | down 25.4% | rising |
| 183 | Moldova | 6.85 years | 2024 | down 27.9% | flat |
| 184 | Bulgaria | 6.76 years | 2024 | down 11.6% | falling |
| 185 | Micronesia (country) | 6.56 years | 2024 | down 13.6% | falling |
| 186 | Eritrea | 6.56 years | 2022 | up 3.0% | flat |
| 187 | Central African Republic | 6.5 years | 2016 | up 59.7% | rising |
| 188 | Honduras | 6.49 years | 2024 | down 10.4% | falling |
| 189 | Chad | 6.49 years | 2024 | down 6.2% | rising |
| 190 | Syria | 6.48 years | 2024 | up 12.5% | falling |
| 191 | Burkina Faso | 6.3 years | 2024 | down 9.1% | rising |
| 192 | Yemen | 6.22 years | 2016 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 193 | Pakistan | 6.02 years | 2024 | up 23.5% | rising |
| 194 | Tokelau | 5.9 years | 2025 | down 35.7% | falling |
| 195 | Liberia | 5.72 years | 2022 | down 32.2% | falling |
| 196 | Mali | 5.64 years | 2023 | down 1.6% | rising |
| 197 | Sudan | 5.51 years | 2019 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 198 | Djibouti | 5.06 years | 2023 | up 14.2% | rising |
| 199 | Niger | 4.87 years | 2024 | down 9.1% | rising |
| 200 | Equatorial Guinea | 4.09 years | 2015 | down 8.2% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- SDG: Australia and New Zealand 11.04 years
- ESCWA: Maghreb Subregion (unsdcode:98504) 10.27 years
- ESCAP: Pacific (pac) (unsdcode:98418) 10.15 years
- AIMS: Pacific 10.15 years
- SDG: Oceania 10.15 years
- ALECSO: Maghreb Countries 10.15 years
- ECA: Amu (unsdcode:98111) 10.15 years
- MDG: Caribbean 10.07 years
- UNESCO: Sids 9.59 years
- SDG: Small Island Developing States 9.56 years
- ESCAP: Wb High Income Economies (wb_high) (unsdcode:98436) 9.53 years
- ECA: Small Island States (unsdcode:98125) 9.52 years
- WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income) 9.49 years
- WB: Latin America & Caribbean (ida & Ibrd) 9.48 years
- ECLAC: Latin America (unsdcode:98302) 9.48 years
- UNICEF: Latin America and Caribbean 9.48 years
- ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300) 9.47 years
- ESCAP: Latin America (lac) (unsdcode:98424) 9.47 years
- MDG: Latin America and the Caribbean 9.47 years
- SDG: Latin America and the Caribbean 9.47 years
- WB: Latin America & Caribbean 9.47 years
- UIS: Latin America and the Caribbean 9.47 years
- MDG: Latin America 9.43 years
- ECE: Euro Area (e25) (unsdcode:98204) 9.42 years
- WB: Euro Area 9.41 years
- MDG: Northern Africa 9.38 years
- ESCWA: Arab Non-conflict and Non-ldc Middle Income Countries (unsdcode:98507) 9.34 years
- UNICEF: Western Europe 9.33 years
- ECE: Eurasian Economic Union (eaeu) (unsdcode:98206) 9.22 years
- ESCAP: Pacific Island Developing Economies (pide) (unsdcode:98427) 9.2 years
- MDG: Oceania 9.2 years
- SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) 9.2 years
- SDG: Europe 9.18 years
- WB: Oecd Members 9.17 years
- ECE: European Union (emu) (unsdcode:98203) 9.15 years
- WB: European Union 9.15 years
- ESCAP: Europe (europe) (unsdcode:98423) 9.12 years
- UIS: North America and Western Europe 9.12 years
- WB: Upper Middle Income (july 2025) 9.12 years
- WB: Post-demographic Dividend 9.11 years
About this data
February 2026 Data Release