School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes was 8.86 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
8.86 years
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
177th
of 221 groups
All-time high
8.89 years
in 2020
All-time low
4.18 years
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 8.86 years for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in 2024.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 8.89 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.18 years, in 1970.
That places UIS: Sub-saharan Africa 177th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.18 years | — |
| 1971 | 4.22 years | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 4.33 years | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 4.39 years | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 4.54 years | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 4.68 years | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 4.78 years | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 4.99 years | +4.3% |
| 1978 | 5.29 years | +5.9% |
| 1979 | 5.66 years | +7.1% |
| 1980 | 5.94 years | +4.8% |
| 1981 | 6.17 years | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 6.39 years | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 6.45 years | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 6.45 years | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 6.28 years | -2.5% |
| 1986 | 6.03 years | -4.0% |
| 1987 | 5.96 years | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 5.93 years | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 5.93 years | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 5.87 years | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 5.98 years | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 5.93 years | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 5.96 years | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 5.98 years | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 6.01 years | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 5.88 years | -2.2% |
| 1997 | 6.11 years | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 6.28 years | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 6.38 years | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 6.56 years | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 6.71 years | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 6.92 years | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 7.15 years | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 7.45 years | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 7.67 years | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 7.85 years | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 7.92 years | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 8.12 years | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 8.25 years | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 8.37 years | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 8.54 years | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 8.63 years | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 8.81 years | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 8.68 years | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 8.6 years | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 8.6 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8.65 years | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 8.69 years | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 8.8 years | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 8.89 years | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 8.88 years | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 8.79 years | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 8.85 years | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 8.86 years | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.71 years | 4.18 years | 5.66 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.15 years | 5.93 years | 6.45 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.04 years | 5.87 years | 6.38 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.46 years | 6.56 years | 8.25 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.64 years | 8.37 years | 8.81 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.86 years | 8.79 years | 8.89 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
- 174 Jamaica 9.97 years compare
- 175 Comoros 9.89 years compare
- 176 Bangladesh 9.83 years compare
- 177 Tajikistan 9.76 years compare
- 178 British Virgin Islands 9.75 years compare
- 179 Ukraine 9.72 years compare
- 180 Madagascar 9.56 years compare
More education data for UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9.73 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7518 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 40.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.04 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.6 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.53 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa was 8.86 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.89 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.18 years in 1970.
- How does UIS: Sub-saharan Africa rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 177th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UIS: Sub-saharan Africa 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