School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) in Iran
Iran: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) was 11.2 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
11.2 years
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
125th
of 213 countries
All-time high
11.39 years
in 2013
All-time low
5.79 years
in 1971
Years of data
38
1971–2023
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Iran, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Iran is 11.2 years, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Iran peaked at 11.39 years in 2013 and was at its lowest, 5.79 years, in 1971.
Iran ranks 125th of 213 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) in Iran, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 5.79 years | — |
| 1972 | 5.8 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 6.07 years | +4.7% |
| 1974 | 6.33 years | +4.3% |
| 1975 | 6.94 years | +9.7% |
| 1976 | 7.35 years | +5.9% |
| 1977 | 7.68 years | +4.5% |
| 1985 | 8.27 years | +7.8% |
| 1988 | 8.85 years | +7.0% |
| 1990 | 9.23 years | +4.3% |
| 1991 | 9.22 years | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 9.56 years | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 9.64 years | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 9.83 years | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 9.87 years | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 9.89 years | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 9.98 years | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 10 years | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 10.25 years | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 10.37 years | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 10.51 years | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 10.63 years | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 10.44 years | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 10.43 years | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 10.25 years | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 10.48 years | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 10.58 years | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 10.43 years | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 10.6 years | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 10.7 years | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 11.39 years | +6.5% |
| 2014 | 11.02 years | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 11 years | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 11.2 years | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 11.18 years | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 11.38 years | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 11.17 years | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 11.2 years | +0.2% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 11.2 years is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 11.53 years, 97% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 11.2 years is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 11.4 years, 98% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.56 years | 5.79 years | 7.68 years | 7 |
| 1980s | 8.56 years | 8.27 years | 8.85 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 9.65 years | 9.22 years | 9.98 years | 8 |
| 2000s | 10.4 years | 10 years | 10.63 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.94 years | 10.43 years | 11.39 years | 8 |
| 2020s | 11.25 years | 11.17 years | 11.38 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More education data for Iran
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 406,399 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 108,066 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 519,698 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 505,053 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.62 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 9.09 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1003 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Iran?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Iran was 11.2 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 11.39 years in 2013.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.79 years in 1971.
- How does Iran rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Iran ranks 125th out of 213 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran 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 — 38 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release