School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Gambia
Gambia: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes was 12.35 years in 2021. ◆ Volatile
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Gambia, 1971–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2021, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Gambia stood at 12.35 years. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 71.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Gambia peaked at 12.35 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.8 years, in 1971.
That places Gambia 68th out of 213 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Gambia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.8 years | — |
| 1972 | 1.81 years | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 1.92 years | +6.1% |
| 1974 | 1.95 years | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 2.01 years | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 2.12 years | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 2.22 years | +4.8% |
| 1978 | 2.29 years | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 2.53 years | +10.8% |
| 1980 | 2.84 years | +12.0% |
| 1981 | 3.34 years | +17.4% |
| 1982 | 3.59 years | +7.5% |
| 1983 | 3.84 years | +7.2% |
| 1984 | 4.12 years | +7.3% |
| 1985 | 4.29 years | +4.2% |
| 1986 | 4.29 years | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 4.21 years | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 4.07 years | -3.4% |
| 1989 | 3.89 years | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 3.96 years | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 3.99 years | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 4.13 years | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 4.29 years | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 4.35 years | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 4.58 years | +5.4% |
| 1996 | 4.78 years | +4.4% |
| 2007 | 7.27 years | +52.0% |
| 2008 | 7.18 years | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 7.21 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 7.19 years | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 12.35 years | +71.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.07 years | 1.8 years | 2.53 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 3.85 years | 2.84 years | 4.29 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.3 years | 3.96 years | 4.78 years | 7 |
| 2000s | 7.22 years | 7.18 years | 7.27 years | 3 |
| 2010s | 7.19 years | 7.19 years | 7.19 years | 1 |
| 2020s | 12.35 years | 12.35 years | 12.35 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More education data for Gambia
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 442,901 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1569 units per person (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 442,901 (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.1569 units per person (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 236,367 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Gambia?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Gambia was 12.35 years in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.35 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8 years in 1971.
- How does Gambia rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Gambia ranks 68th out of 213 countries with data for 2021.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 71.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Gambia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release