School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World
UNICEF: World: School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes was 8.43 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World, 1996–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2024, school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World stood at 8.43 years. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World peaked at 8.43 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7.19 years, in 1996.
UNICEF: World ranks 120th of 221 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 7.19 years | — |
| 1997 | 7.22 years | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 7.22 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 7.29 years | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 7.33 years | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 7.36 years | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 7.48 years | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 7.64 years | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 7.76 years | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 7.88 years | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 7.97 years | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 8.05 years | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 8.07 years | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 8.08 years | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 8.15 years | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 8.17 years | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 8.34 years | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 8.37 years | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 8.3 years | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 8.28 years | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 8.37 years | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 8.37 years | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 8.25 years | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 8.25 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 8.3 years | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 8.26 years | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 8.35 years | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 8.36 years | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 8.43 years | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.23 years | 7.19 years | 7.29 years | 4 |
| 2000s | 7.76 years | 7.33 years | 8.08 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.28 years | 8.15 years | 8.37 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.34 years | 8.26 years | 8.43 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: World
More education data for UNICEF: World
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 314.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.7455 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.4208 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 206.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.3082 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 268.06 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 129.28 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 138.78 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World?
- School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World was 8.43 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: World?
- The highest recorded value was 8.43 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: World?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.19 years in 1996.
- How does UNICEF: World rank for school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes?
- UNICEF: World ranks 120th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: World data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release