School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, male (years) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
200
Highest
14.06 years
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Lowest
4.06 years
Equatorial Guinea
Median
8.97 years
Years covered
41
1985–2025
Data points
10,266
What the numbers show
School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, male (years) is currently reported for 200 countries. The highest value is 14.06 years in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the lowest is 4.06 years in Equatorial Guinea.
The median across all reporting countries is 8.97 years, and the mean is 8.92 years.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 3.
Over the past decade 77 countries rose and 123 fell. The largest increase was in Central African Republic (up 53.3%), and the largest decrease in Tokelau (down 39.8%).
School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, male (years): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 14.06 years | 2023 | up 19.8% | rising |
| 2 | Sierra Leone | 12.69 years | 2024 | up 42.1% | rising |
| 3 | Namibia | 12.1 years | 2024 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 4 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 11.97 years | 2024 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 5 | Eswatini | 11.92 years | 2016 | up 13.3% | rising |
| 6 | Monaco | 11.88 years | 2024 | down 9.9% | flat |
| 7 | Antigua and Barbuda | 11.85 years | 2023 | down 1.9% | falling |
| 8 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 11.44 years | 2024 | up 31.9% | rising |
| 9 | Fiji | 11.37 years | 2024 | up 15.7% | rising |
| 10 | Australia | 11.31 years | 2024 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 11 | Rwanda | 11.24 years | 2024 | up 10.1% | rising |
| 12 | Grenada | 11.14 years | 2024 | down 0.7% | falling |
| 13 | Montserrat | 10.89 years | 2023 | down 1.0% | rising |
| 14 | Ireland | 10.83 years | 2022 | down 4.2% | flat |
| 15 | Algeria | 10.8 years | 2024 | down 5.1% | rising |
| 16 | Cook Islands | 10.79 years | 2024 | up 7.4% | rising |
| 17 | Tonga | 10.78 years | 2024 | down 11.6% | rising |
| 18 | Dominica | 10.74 years | 2023 | down 3.6% | falling |
| 19 | Aruba | 10.7 years | 2024 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 20 | Bhutan | 10.68 years | 2024 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 21 | Niue | 10.65 years | 2024 | up 17.3% | rising |
| 22 | Denmark | 10.54 years | 2024 | down 1.0% | rising |
| 23 | Papua New Guinea | 10.54 years | 2023 | up 31.6% | rising |
| 24 | Botswana | 10.53 years | 2022 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 25 | Anguilla | 10.52 years | 2023 | up 1.4% | falling |
| 26 | Morocco | 10.52 years | 2024 | up 11.0% | rising |
| 27 | Togo | 10.41 years | 2023 | down 5.2% | rising |
| 28 | Germany | 10.31 years | 2024 | up 1.3% | flat |
| 29 | Sao Tome and Principe | 10.25 years | 2017 | up 9.1% | rising |
| 30 | Netherlands | 10.23 years | 2023 | down 3.2% | flat |
| 31 | Afghanistan | 10.22 years | 2023 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 32 | Vanuatu | 10.18 years | 2023 | down 6.8% | rising |
| 33 | Lithuania | 10.15 years | 2024 | down 1.6% | flat |
| 34 | Peru | 10.14 years | 2024 | up 6.5% | flat |
| 35 | Portugal | 10.02 years | 2023 | down 1.4% | falling |
| 36 | Argentina | 10.01 years | 2023 | down 5.9% | flat |
| 37 | Andorra | 9.99 years | 2024 | up 11.5% | flat |
| 38 | Uruguay | 9.97 years | 2023 | up 0.4% | flat |
| 39 | Norway | 9.94 years | 2024 | down 0.1% | flat |
| 40 | Tuvalu | 9.92 years | 2024 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 41 | Mauritius | 9.91 years | 2024 | up 9.0% | flat |
| 42 | Cote d'Ivoire | 9.87 years | 2024 | up 31.9% | rising |
| 43 | New Zealand | 9.86 years | 2024 | down 1.4% | flat |
| 44 | Malawi | 9.85 years | 2023 | down 8.5% | falling |
| 45 | Albania | 9.83 years | 2024 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 46 | Iceland | 9.83 years | 2023 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 47 | Belize | 9.81 years | 2024 | down 6.6% | flat |
| 48 | Hong Kong | 9.81 years | 2024 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 49 | Venezuela | 9.8 years | 2024 | up 9.5% | rising |
| 50 | Trinidad and Tobago | 9.76 years | 2024 | down 0.9% | rising |
| 51 | Uzbekistan | 9.76 years | 2025 | up 13.7% | flat |
| 52 | Jordan | 9.76 years | 2024 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 53 | Mozambique | 9.75 years | 2017 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 54 | Sweden | 9.72 years | 2024 | down 2.2% | rising |
| 55 | Costa Rica | 9.68 years | 2024 | down 2.9% | rising |
| 56 | Mexico | 9.68 years | 2024 | down 5.5% | flat |
| 57 | Libya | 9.67 years | 2006 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 58 | Maldives | 9.62 years | 2023 | up 4.0% | falling |
| 59 | Colombia | 9.58 years | 2022 | down 5.8% | flat |
| 60 | Cape Verde | 9.57 years | 2022 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 61 | United Kingdom | 9.55 years | 2023 | down 0.9% | rising |
| 62 | Luxembourg | 9.54 years | 2024 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 63 | Russia | 9.53 years | 2023 | up 13.1% | rising |
| 64 | Spain | 9.52 years | 2024 | down 2.5% | falling |
| 65 | Zambia | 9.46 years | 2024 | up 6.4% | rising |
| 66 | Brazil | 9.45 years | 2024 | down 4.0% | flat |
| 67 | South Africa | 9.44 years | 2023 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 68 | Nepal | 9.43 years | 2024 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 69 | Lesotho | 9.43 years | 2017 | down 5.9% | rising |
| 70 | Cyprus | 9.43 years | 2024 | up 6.7% | flat |
| 71 | Tunisia | 9.41 years | 2023 | down 1.0% | flat |
| 72 | Montenegro | 9.39 years | 2023 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 73 | Saint Lucia | 9.35 years | 2024 | down 2.2% | flat |
| 74 | East Timor | 9.32 years | 2020 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 75 | Oman | 9.32 years | 2024 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 76 | Nauru | 9.32 years | 2025 | down 7.0% | rising |
| 77 | Saudi Arabia | 9.32 years | 2024 | up 5.0% | falling |
| 78 | Vietnam | 9.31 years | 2023 | up 5.1% | flat |
| 79 | Myanmar | 9.29 years | 2018 | up 23.1% | rising |
| 80 | Greece | 9.26 years | 2023 | up 2.4% | flat |
| 81 | Liechtenstein | 9.25 years | 2021 | down 1.4% | flat |
| 82 | Cameroon | 9.25 years | 2023 | down 9.3% | rising |
| 83 | China | 9.21 years | 2012 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 84 | Switzerland | 9.21 years | 2024 | down 1.2% | flat |
| 85 | Belgium | 9.2 years | 2023 | down 2.7% | flat |
| 86 | France | 9.18 years | 2024 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 87 | Gibraltar | 9.15 years | 2024 | down 10.4% | flat |
| 88 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 9.15 years | 2021 | up 29.7% | rising |
| 89 | Japan | 9.11 years | 2023 | up 0.6% | flat |
| 90 | Slovakia | 9.09 years | 2024 | up 3.5% | flat |
| 91 | Indonesia | 9.09 years | 2025 | down 4.5% | rising |
| 92 | Georgia | 9.06 years | 2024 | down 11.2% | flat |
| 93 | Thailand | 9.04 years | 2025 | down 9.8% | rising |
| 94 | Armenia | 9.03 years | 2024 | up 12.4% | rising |
| 95 | Philippines | 9.03 years | 2024 | up 2.2% | rising |
| 96 | Finland | 9.01 years | 2024 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 97 | Slovenia | 8.99 years | 2023 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 98 | Czechia | 8.99 years | 2023 | down 0.8% | flat |
| 99 | South Korea | 8.98 years | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 100 | Kuwait | 8.98 years | 2012 | up 14.6% | rising |
| 101 | Estonia | 8.97 years | 2024 | down 0.7% | falling |
| 102 | Guyana | 8.97 years | 2024 | down 6.9% | falling |
| 103 | Azerbaijan | 8.95 years | 2024 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 104 | Kazakhstan | 8.93 years | 2025 | up 5.5% | flat |
| 105 | Benin | 8.93 years | 2022 | down 9.9% | rising |
| 106 | Kiribati | 8.93 years | 2024 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 107 | Dominican Republic | 8.91 years | 2024 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 108 | Latvia | 8.91 years | 2024 | down 2.7% | flat |
| 109 | Malta | 8.9 years | 2023 | down 2.0% | falling |
| 110 | Iraq | 8.9 years | 2023 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 111 | Iran | 8.88 years | 2023 | up 6.7% | rising |
| 112 | Nicaragua | 8.84 years | 2023 | down 9.2% | flat |
| 113 | Cuba | 8.82 years | 2024 | down 5.4% | flat |
| 114 | Tajikistan | 8.8 years | 2017 | down 4.5% | flat |
| 115 | Israel | 8.8 years | 2024 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 116 | Congo | 8.79 years | 2012 | up 5.7% | rising |
| 117 | United States | 8.78 years | 2022 | down 2.4% | flat |
| 118 | Ghana | 8.76 years | 2024 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 119 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8.74 years | 2023 | up 10.9% | rising |
| 120 | Madagascar | 8.73 years | 2021 | down 1.8% | rising |
| 121 | Cambodia | 8.72 years | 2024 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 122 | Egypt | 8.67 years | 2024 | up 8.7% | rising |
| 123 | Qatar | 8.67 years | 2024 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 124 | Canada | 8.66 years | 2023 | down 3.7% | rising |
| 125 | Ecuador | 8.64 years | 2023 | down 10.0% | flat |
| 126 | Kyrgyzstan | 8.63 years | 2025 | up 1.3% | flat |
| 127 | Bahrain | 8.63 years | 2024 | down 8.5% | rising |
| 128 | Cayman Islands | 8.62 years | 2024 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 129 | Belarus | 8.6 years | 2024 | down 4.3% | falling |
| 130 | North Macedonia | 8.59 years | 2023 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 131 | Zimbabwe | 8.57 years | 2013 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 132 | Comoros | 8.56 years | 2022 | down 6.6% | rising |
| 133 | Seychelles | 8.46 years | 2024 | down 22.4% | flat |
| 134 | Croatia | 8.44 years | 2023 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 135 | Macao | 8.43 years | 2024 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 136 | Palau | 8.39 years | 2024 | down 7.8% | falling |
| 137 | Mongolia | 8.37 years | 2024 | down 3.5% | rising |
| 138 | Palestine | 8.36 years | 2023 | down 10.5% | flat |
| 139 | Jamaica | 8.36 years | 2024 | up 0.7% | flat |
| 140 | Mauritania | 8.36 years | 2024 | up 10.4% | rising |
| 141 | United Arab Emirates | 8.35 years | 2024 | up 4.2% | falling |
| 142 | Guinea | 8.31 years | 2014 | up 18.4% | rising |
| 143 | India | 8.27 years | 2025 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 144 | Tanzania | 8.27 years | 2021 | down 7.1% | rising |
| 145 | Turkey | 8.26 years | 2023 | down 6.0% | rising |
| 146 | Panama | 8.26 years | 2023 | down 8.5% | falling |
| 147 | Italy | 8.24 years | 2023 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 148 | Samoa | 8.22 years | 2023 | down 1.4% | rising |
| 149 | Sri Lanka | 8.21 years | 2023 | down 6.5% | falling |
| 150 | Marshall Islands | 8.21 years | 2024 | down 18.2% | rising |
| 151 | Chile | 8.2 years | 2024 | down 0.8% | flat |
| 152 | Guatemala | 8.18 years | 2024 | down 5.9% | rising |
| 153 | Austria | 8.15 years | 2024 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 154 | Ukraine | 8.14 years | 2024 | down 7.2% | falling |
| 155 | Barbados | 8.1 years | 2024 | down 10.7% | falling |
| 156 | Paraguay | 8.1 years | 2024 | down 16.2% | falling |
| 157 | Hungary | 8.07 years | 2024 | down 0.2% | flat |
| 158 | Singapore | 8.06 years | 2023 | down 1.3% | flat |
| 159 | Malaysia | 7.98 years | 2024 | down 3.4% | falling |
| 160 | Brunei | 7.94 years | 2023 | down 3.9% | falling |
| 161 | Bahamas | 7.93 years | 2024 | down 7.4% | falling |
| 162 | British Virgin Islands | 7.9 years | 2024 | down 25.1% | falling |
| 163 | Kenya | 7.88 years | 2023 | down 11.1% | rising |
| 164 | Poland | 7.87 years | 2024 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 165 | Serbia | 7.86 years | 2024 | down 2.0% | flat |
| 166 | Bermuda | 7.82 years | 2023 | down 8.6% | falling |
| 167 | Puerto Rico | 7.8 years | 2024 | down 12.9% | falling |
| 168 | El Salvador | 7.71 years | 2024 | down 15.2% | falling |
| 169 | Bolivia | 7.68 years | 2024 | down 4.0% | falling |
| 170 | Romania | 7.63 years | 2023 | up 0.5% | flat |
| 171 | Gambia | 7.5 years | 2024 | up 14.9% | rising |
| 172 | San Marino | 7.46 years | 2024 | down 4.3% | flat |
| 173 | Angola | 7.42 years | 2023 | down 33.7% | rising |
| 174 | Central African Republic | 7.33 years | 2016 | up 53.3% | rising |
| 175 | Laos | 7.22 years | 2025 | down 19.6% | flat |
| 176 | Eritrea | 7.13 years | 2022 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 177 | Suriname | 7.12 years | 2023 | down 26.3% | flat |
| 178 | Ethiopia | 7.1 years | 2023 | down 5.9% | rising |
| 179 | Nigeria | 7.06 years | 2023 | up 1.0% | falling |
| 180 | Chad | 7.05 years | 2024 | down 12.3% | rising |
| 181 | Moldova | 6.99 years | 2024 | down 26.6% | flat |
| 182 | Bangladesh | 6.96 years | 2024 | down 6.7% | rising |
| 183 | Burundi | 6.9 years | 2025 | down 28.3% | rising |
| 184 | Solomon Islands | 6.87 years | 2024 | down 26.4% | flat |
| 185 | Lebanon | 6.86 years | 2024 | up 2.0% | falling |
| 186 | Bulgaria | 6.77 years | 2024 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 187 | Yemen | 6.74 years | 2016 | down 8.2% | flat |
| 188 | Micronesia (country) | 6.54 years | 2024 | down 16.9% | falling |
| 189 | Syria | 6.39 years | 2024 | up 9.2% | falling |
| 190 | Honduras | 6.37 years | 2024 | down 11.2% | falling |
| 191 | Senegal | 6.33 years | 2023 | down 12.0% | rising |
| 192 | Pakistan | 6.12 years | 2024 | up 15.2% | rising |
| 193 | Burkina Faso | 6.02 years | 2024 | down 14.9% | rising |
| 194 | Mali | 5.87 years | 2023 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 195 | Tokelau | 5.85 years | 2025 | down 39.8% | falling |
| 196 | Liberia | 5.66 years | 2022 | down 37.1% | falling |
| 197 | Sudan | 5.62 years | 2019 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 198 | Djibouti | 5.34 years | 2023 | up 11.6% | rising |
| 199 | Niger | 4.95 years | 2024 | down 15.9% | rising |
| 200 | Equatorial Guinea | 4.06 years | 2015 | down 12.0% | 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 11.1 years
- ESCWA: Maghreb Subregion (unsdcode:98504) 10.49 years
- ALECSO: Maghreb Countries 10.34 years
- ECA: Amu (unsdcode:98111) 10.34 years
- ESCAP: Pacific (pac) (unsdcode:98418) 10.29 years
- AIMS: Pacific 10.29 years
- SDG: Oceania 10.29 years
- MDG: Caribbean 10.12 years
- UNESCO: Sids 9.69 years
- SDG: Small Island Developing States 9.67 years
- ESCAP: Wb High Income Economies (wb_high) (unsdcode:98436) 9.55 years
- MDG: Northern Africa 9.49 years
- ESCAP: Pacific Island Developing Economies (pide) (unsdcode:98427) 9.45 years
- MDG: Oceania 9.45 years
- SDG: Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) 9.45 years
- ECA: Small Island States (unsdcode:98125) 9.45 years
- ESCWA: Arab Non-conflict and Non-ldc Middle Income Countries (unsdcode:98507) 9.44 years
- ECE: Euro Area (e25) (unsdcode:98204) 9.44 years
- WB: Latin America & Caribbean (excluding High Income) 9.43 years
- WB: Euro Area 9.43 years
- WB: Latin America & Caribbean (ida & Ibrd) 9.42 years
- ECLAC: Latin America (unsdcode:98302) 9.42 years
- UNICEF: Latin America and Caribbean 9.41 years
- ECLAC: All Countries (unsdcode:98300) 9.41 years
- ESCAP: Latin America (lac) (unsdcode:98424) 9.41 years
- MDG: Latin America and the Caribbean 9.41 years
- SDG: Latin America and the Caribbean 9.41 years
- WB: Latin America & Caribbean 9.41 years
- UIS: Latin America and the Caribbean 9.41 years
- ESCAP: Lldc (lldc_e) (unsdcode:98412) 9.41 years
- MDG: Latin America 9.36 years
- UNICEF: Western Europe 9.34 years
- ECE: Eurasian Economic Union (eaeu) (unsdcode:98206) 9.32 years
- ESCAP: Small Islands Developing States (sids) (unsdcode:98435) 9.27 years
- SDG: Europe 9.21 years
- ESCWA: Arab Middle-income Countries (mics) (unsdcode:98508) 9.2 years
- ECE: European Union (emu) (unsdcode:98203) 9.17 years
- WB: European Union 9.17 years
- ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) 9.16 years
- ESCAP: North and Central Asia (nca) (unsdcode:98417) 9.16 years
About this data
February 2026 Data Release