School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) in Namibia
Namibia: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) was 12.88 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
12.88 years
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
42nd
of 213 countries
All-time high
13.03 years
in 2020
All-time low
10.93 years
in 1986
Years of data
37
1986–2024
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Namibia, 1986–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 12.88 years for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Namibia peaked at 13.03 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.93 years, in 1986.
That places Namibia 42nd out of 213 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) in Namibia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 10.93 years | — |
| 1987 | 11.15 years | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 11.17 years | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 11.23 years | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 11.08 years | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 11.92 years | +7.6% |
| 1992 | 12.55 years | +5.3% |
| 1993 | 12.42 years | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 13 years | +4.6% |
| 1995 | 12.74 years | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 12.41 years | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 12.26 years | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 12.06 years | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 11.68 years | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 11.55 years | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 11.62 years | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 11.47 years | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 11.44 years | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 11.24 years | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 11.21 years | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 11.02 years | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 11.34 years | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 11.74 years | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 12 years | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 12.21 years | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 12.32 years | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 12.46 years | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 12.7 years | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 12.77 years | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 12.97 years | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 12.93 years | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 12.93 years | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 13.03 years | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 13 years | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 12.85 years | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 12.8 years | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 12.88 years | +0.6% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 12.88 years is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.58 years, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 12.88 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.03 years, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.12 years | 10.93 years | 11.23 years | 4 |
| 1990s | 12.21 years | 11.08 years | 13 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.36 years | 11.02 years | 11.62 years | 8 |
| 2010s | 12.5 years | 11.74 years | 12.97 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.91 years | 12.8 years | 13.03 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More education data for Namibia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 10,653 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 90,003 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 26,964 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 27,746 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 236,050 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,029 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1947 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Namibia?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Namibia was 12.88 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 13.03 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.93 years in 1986.
- How does Namibia rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Namibia ranks 42nd out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release