School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes was 8.77 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
8.77 years
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
189th
of 221 groups
All-time high
8.8 years
in 2020
All-time low
4.2 years
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2024, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 8.77 years.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 8.8 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.2 years, in 1970.
That places UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa 189th 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 UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.2 years | — |
| 1971 | 4.24 years | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 4.35 years | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 4.4 years | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 4.54 years | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 4.68 years | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 4.78 years | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 4.98 years | +4.2% |
| 1978 | 5.26 years | +5.6% |
| 1979 | 5.61 years | +6.8% |
| 1980 | 5.87 years | +4.6% |
| 1981 | 6.1 years | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 6.31 years | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 6.36 years | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 6.37 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6.21 years | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 5.97 years | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 5.9 years | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 5.87 years | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 5.88 years | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 5.82 years | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 5.92 years | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 5.87 years | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 5.91 years | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 5.93 years | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 5.96 years | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 5.84 years | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 6.05 years | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 6.22 years | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 6.31 years | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 6.49 years | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 6.63 years | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 6.83 years | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 7.06 years | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 7.35 years | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 7.57 years | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 7.75 years | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 7.81 years | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 8.02 years | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 8.16 years | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 8.27 years | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 8.43 years | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 8.52 years | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 8.7 years | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 8.58 years | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 8.51 years | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 8.51 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8.56 years | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 8.6 years | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 8.71 years | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 8.8 years | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 8.79 years | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 8.71 years | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 8.76 years | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 8.77 years | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.7 years | 4.2 years | 5.61 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.08 years | 5.87 years | 6.37 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.98 years | 5.82 years | 6.31 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.37 years | 6.49 years | 8.16 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.54 years | 8.27 years | 8.71 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.77 years | 8.71 years | 8.8 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
- 186 Guinea-Bissau 8.9 years compare
- 187 Lebanon 8.73 years compare
- 188 Angola 8.61 years compare
- 189 Tanzania, United Republic of 8.6 years compare
- 190 Guinea 8.45 years compare
- 191 Mauritania 8.35 years compare
- 192 Senegal 8.22 years compare
More education data for UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.42 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.60 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa was 8.77 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.8 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.2 years in 1970.
- How does UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 189th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: 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