School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in WB: Sub-saharan Africa
WB: Sub-saharan Africa: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes was 8.78 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
8.78 years
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
186th
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 WB: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in WB: Sub-saharan Africa is 8.78 years, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of 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 WB: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 8.8 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.2 years, in 1970.
That places WB: Sub-saharan Africa 186th 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 WB: 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 | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 4.98 years | +4.2% |
| 1978 | 5.26 years | +5.6% |
| 1979 | 5.62 years | +6.8% |
| 1980 | 5.88 years | +4.6% |
| 1981 | 6.1 years | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 6.31 years | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 6.37 years | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 6.37 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6.21 years | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 5.97 years | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 5.91 years | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 5.87 years | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 5.88 years | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 5.82 years | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 5.92 years | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 5.88 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 | 6.06 years | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 6.22 years | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 6.32 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 | 8.28 years | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 8.43 years | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 8.52 years | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 8.7 years | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 8.59 years | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 8.51 years | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 8.51 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8.57 years | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 8.61 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 | 8.78 years | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.7 years | 4.2 years | 5.62 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.09 years | 5.87 years | 6.37 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.99 years | 5.82 years | 6.32 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.37 years | 6.49 years | 8.16 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.54 years | 8.28 years | 8.71 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.77 years | 8.71 years | 8.8 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: Sub-saharan Africa
- 183 El Salvador 9.34 years compare
- 184 Suriname 9.18 years compare
- 185 Guatemala 9.08 years compare
- 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
More education data for WB: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.08 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.55 % 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 WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in WB: Sub-saharan Africa was 8.78 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in WB: 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 WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.2 years in 1970.
- How does WB: Sub-saharan Africa rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- WB: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 186th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in WB: 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 WB: 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.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release