Statizoid

School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) by country

Number of years a person of school entrance age can expect to spend within the specified level of education. For a child of a certain age a, the school life expectancy is calculated as the sum of the age specific enrolment rates for the levels of education specified. The part of the enrolment that is not...

Countries reporting
197
Highest
16.18 years
Sweden
Lowest
1.76 years
Somalia
Median
11.64 years
Years covered
51
1970–2020
Data points
8,554

What the numbers show

School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) is currently reported for 197 countries. The highest value is 16.18 years in Sweden; the lowest is 1.76 years in Somalia.

The median across all reporting countries is 11.64 years, and the mean is 11.27 years.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 9.

Over the past decade 137 countries rose and 52 fell. The largest increase was in Angola (up 141.5%), and the largest decrease in Syria (down 24.5%).

School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years): full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Sweden 16.18 years 2018 up 34.4% rising
2 Ireland 15.78 years 2018 up 15.1% rising
3 Belgium 15.3 years 2018 down 0.8% rising
4 Iceland 15.11 years 2018 up 3.6% rising
5 Finland 14.82 years 2018 up 19.0% rising
6 Denmark 14.68 years 2018 up 11.3% rising
7 Australia 14.67 years 2018 — flat
8 Netherlands 14.32 years 2018 up 4.2% rising
9 United Kingdom 14.28 years 2018 up 8.4% rising
10 United States Virgin Islands 14.06 years 1993 up 10.8% rising
11 New Zealand 14.05 years 2018 down 1.5% rising
12 Slovenia 14 years 2018 up 9.4% rising
13 Norway 13.96 years 2018 up 1.4% rising
14 Tonga 13.92 years 2015 up 7.1% rising
15 Malta 13.78 years 2018 up 6.9% rising
16 Costa Rica 13.72 years 2019 up 16.6% rising
17 Uruguay 13.62 years 2018 up 11.9% rising
18 Palau 13.57 years 2014 up 14.6% rising
19 Spain 13.54 years 2018 up 4.6% rising
20 Portugal 13.51 years 2018 up 2.7% rising
21 Grenada 13.49 years 2018 down 1.0% rising
22 Switzerland 13.41 years 2018 up 4.0% rising
23 Tunisia 13.4 years 2016 up 6.4% rising
24 Luxembourg 13.37 years 2018 up 3.9% rising
25 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13.31 years 2018 up 1.3% rising
26 Czechia 13.28 years 2018 up 5.7% rising
27 Argentina 13.15 years 2017 up 3.7% rising
28 Nauru 13.13 years 2019 up 37.2% rising
29 Italy 13.13 years 2018 down 1.3% rising
30 Samoa 13.12 years 2016 up 6.0% rising
31 Sri Lanka 13.07 years 2018 up 2.6% rising
32 Liechtenstein 13.01 years 2018 up 1.5% flat
33 Saint Kitts and Nevis 12.96 years 2016 up 4.4% rising
34 Hong Kong 12.91 years 2019 up 1.9% rising
35 Canada 12.86 years 2018 up 7.0% rising
36 Antigua and Barbuda 12.86 years 2018 down 7.3% rising
37 Thailand 12.81 years 2019 up 18.6% rising
38 Germany 12.78 years 2018 down 3.6% flat
39 Saudi Arabia 12.78 years 2019 up 5.9% rising
40 Algeria 12.77 years 2011 up 23.3% rising
41 Mauritius 12.75 years 2019 up 3.0% rising
42 Eswatini 12.73 years 2016 up 12.2% rising
43 Lithuania 12.72 years 2018 up 2.0% rising
44 Mexico 12.72 years 2018 up 7.3% rising
45 Fiji 12.7 years 2012 up 4.7% rising
46 Estonia 12.67 years 2018 up 3.7% rising
47 Israel 12.65 years 2018 up 1.2% rising
48 Oman 12.54 years 2019 up 2.9% rising
49 United Arab Emirates 12.49 years 2017 — rising
50 Brunei 12.49 years 2019 down 5.9% rising
51 Nepal 12.48 years 2019 up 18.8% rising
52 Qatar 12.48 years 2010 up 6.1% rising
53 Latvia 12.47 years 2018 up 1.0% flat
54 France 12.47 years 2018 down 1.0% rising
55 Libya 12.41 years 2006 — rising
56 Poland 12.38 years 2018 up 7.8% rising
57 Bhutan 12.32 years 2018 up 19.8% volatile
58 Georgia 12.3 years 2019 up 3.9% rising
59 Ecuador 12.3 years 2018 up 16.1% rising
60 Suriname 12.3 years 2018 up 6.0% rising
61 Peru 12.26 years 2019 up 9.9% rising
62 Greece 12.24 years 2018 up 5.4% rising
63 Montenegro 12.24 years 2019 down 1.7% flat
64 Chile 12.2 years 2018 up 2.4% rising
65 Turkey 12.19 years 2018 up 16.8% rising
66 Slovakia 12.19 years 2018 up 0.1% rising
67 Gabon 12.17 years 2002 up 9.9% rising
68 Cuba 12.15 years 2019 up 4.9% rising
69 Hungary 12.08 years 2018 up 2.9% rising
70 East Timor 12.03 years 2019 up 5.3% rising
71 Dominica 12.03 years 2019 up 3.2% rising
72 United States 12.02 years 2018 up 1.2% rising
73 Macao 12.02 years 2019 up 15.5% rising
74 Togo 12.01 years 2017 up 20.7% rising
75 Austria 11.99 years 2018 up 0.9% flat
76 Brazil 11.98 years 2011 down 12.6% falling
77 Cyprus 11.98 years 2018 down 0.9% rising
78 Kuwait 11.94 years 2015 down 7.0% rising
79 South Africa 11.92 years 2018 down 1.2% rising
80 Benin 11.9 years 2016 up 42.0% rising
81 Uzbekistan 11.86 years 2019 up 8.6% rising
82 Croatia 11.85 years 2018 up 1.2% rising
83 Morocco 11.85 years 2019 up 17.9% rising
84 South Korea 11.85 years 2018 down 0.1% rising
85 Kiribati 11.82 years 2008 up 8.0% rising
86 Albania 11.82 years 2019 up 11.6% flat
87 Belize 11.81 years 2019 up 4.3% rising
88 Sao Tome and Principe 11.81 years 2017 up 19.6% rising
89 Aruba 11.8 years 2012 down 0.4% flat
90 Kazakhstan 11.79 years 2019 up 4.1% rising
91 Egypt 11.76 years 2019 up 16.2% rising
92 Indonesia 11.72 years 2018 up 10.1% rising
93 Iran 11.7 years 2017 up 11.9% rising
94 Bahrain 11.68 years 2019 up 2.6% rising
95 French Polynesia 11.68 years 1993 — rising
96 Micronesia (country) 11.65 years 2005 — falling
97 Botswana 11.65 years 2008 down 0.7% rising
98 Saint Lucia 11.64 years 2019 up 1.6% rising
99 Dominican Republic 11.64 years 2019 up 0.3% rising
100 Azerbaijan 11.6 years 2019 — rising
101 Cape Verde 11.57 years 2018 down 2.8% rising
102 Serbia 11.55 years 2019 up 2.6% flat
103 Mongolia 11.52 years 2010 up 47.5% rising
104 Lesotho 11.52 years 2017 up 6.1% rising
105 Colombia 11.5 years 2018 down 1.9% rising
106 Romania 11.49 years 2018 down 3.3% rising
107 Seychelles 11.47 years 2019 down 3.3% rising
108 Bermuda 11.46 years 2015 up 0.7% flat
109 Russia 11.44 years 2018 up 12.5% rising
110 Malaysia 11.43 years 2017 up 8.6% rising
111 Namibia 11.42 years 2007 up 0.6% rising
112 Cameroon 11.41 years 2016 up 46.6% rising
113 North Macedonia 11.36 years 2018 up 4.2% rising
114 Bolivia 11.36 years 2018 down 4.5% rising
115 Trinidad and Tobago 11.35 years 2004 up 6.6% rising
116 Belarus 11.28 years 2018 down 3.8% rising
117 China 11.21 years 2010 up 19.8% rising
118 Philippines 11.19 years 2018 up 14.8% rising
119 Malawi 11.18 years 2019 up 9.4% rising
120 British Virgin Islands 11.15 years 2018 down 18.2% rising
121 Barbados 11.14 years 2019 down 0.3% flat
122 Palestine 11.12 years 2019 up 5.2% rising
123 Gibraltar 11.11 years 2019 up 10.2% flat
124 Bulgaria 11.03 years 2018 down 3.8% rising
125 Zimbabwe 11.01 years 2013 up 13.5% rising
126 Ghana 11.01 years 2019 up 13.5% rising
127 Nicaragua 10.97 years 2010 up 22.2% rising
128 Maldives 10.93 years 2019 down 7.7% rising
129 Bangladesh 10.9 years 2018 up 33.0% rising
130 Paraguay 10.88 years 2012 down 3.3% rising
131 Vanuatu 10.86 years 2015 up 4.8% rising
132 Rwanda 10.82 years 2019 up 1.1% rising
133 Kyrgyzstan 10.82 years 2019 up 7.6% flat
134 Turks and Caicos Islands 10.8 years 2018 up 7.4% falling
135 Guyana 10.79 years 2012 down 3.8% rising
136 Ukraine 10.67 years 2014 down 0.9% rising
137 San Marino 10.65 years 2019 down 17.8% rising
138 Solomon Islands 10.6 years 2012 up 33.1% rising
139 Armenia 10.6 years 2019 up 2.3% rising
140 Sierra Leone 10.45 years 2017 up 12.5% rising
141 Uganda 10.34 years 2007 up 17.0% rising
142 Comoros 10.32 years 2018 up 7.9% rising
143 Panama 10.28 years 2017 down 3.3% rising
144 Venezuela 10.26 years 2017 down 0.9% rising
145 Congo 10.23 years 2012 up 15.0% falling
146 Tajikistan 10.23 years 2013 up 7.1% flat
147 Burundi 10.16 years 2019 up 7.0% volatile
148 Puerto Rico 10.11 years 2018 down 8.9% falling
149 Cambodia 10.04 years 2008 up 45.8% rising
150 India 10.01 years 2019 up 4.1% rising
151 Kenya 9.98 years 2009 up 28.3% rising
152 El Salvador 9.98 years 2018 down 9.5% rising
153 Iraq 9.95 years 2007 up 32.9% rising
154 Cote d'Ivoire 9.91 years 2019 up 23.0% rising
155 Cayman Islands 9.86 years 2018 down 6.7% falling
156 Vietnam 9.85 years 1998 up 27.9% rising
157 Myanmar 9.7 years 2018 up 23.1% rising
158 Laos 9.63 years 2019 up 9.8% rising
159 Mozambique 9.62 years 2017 up 7.3% rising
160 Papua New Guinea 9.62 years 2016 — rising
161 Moldova 9.59 years 2019 down 3.1% flat
162 Afghanistan 9.58 years 2018 up 14.9% volatile
163 Tuvalu 9.52 years 2019 down 14.1% flat
164 Jamaica 9.35 years 2019 down 9.2% falling
165 Madagascar 9.33 years 2019 down 6.4% rising
166 Democratic Republic of Congo 9.25 years 2015 up 18.8% rising
167 Guatemala 9.18 years 2019 down 7.1% rising
168 Liberia 9.16 years 2015 down 3.8% rising
169 Angola 9.12 years 2011 up 141.5% rising
170 Mauritania 9.06 years 2019 up 20.0% rising
171 Guinea-Bissau 9.05 years 2006 up 57.9% rising
172 Lebanon 9.04 years 1985 down 8.5% flat
173 Bahamas 9 years 2018 down 20.9% falling
174 Tanzania 8.86 years 2019 down 3.5% rising
175 Burkina Faso 8.85 years 2019 up 45.3% volatile
176 Honduras 8.81 years 2019 down 3.5% rising
177 Jordan 8.81 years 2019 down 16.0% falling
178 Yemen 8.77 years 2016 up 7.2% rising
179 Marshall Islands 8.65 years 2019 down 17.8% falling
180 Guinea 8.4 years 2014 up 29.7% rising
181 Ethiopia 8.21 years 2015 up 26.8% volatile
182 Senegal 8.19 years 2019 up 12.6% rising
183 Pakistan 7.96 years 2019 up 23.0% rising
184 Gambia 7.84 years 2010 up 39.7% rising
185 Nigeria 7.72 years 2016 down 9.5% rising
186 Djibouti 7.54 years 2020 up 39.5% rising
187 Syria 7.43 years 2013 down 24.5% rising
188 Central African Republic 7.17 years 2016 up 14.5% rising
189 Zambia 7.16 years 1994 down 7.5% rising
190 Sudan 7.09 years 2017 up 21.4% rising
191 Eritrea 7.09 years 2018 down 10.8% rising
192 Chad 6.92 years 2019 up 5.9% rising
193 Mali 6.9 years 2018 up 1.0% volatile
194 Haiti 6.84 years 1986 up 51.3% rising
195 Equatorial Guinea 6.32 years 2005 down 22.1% rising
196 Niger 6.19 years 2017 up 60.7% volatile
197 Somalia 1.76 years 2007 — rising

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

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School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes by country. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 November 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-life-expectancy-primary-and-secondary-both-sexes-years/

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About this data

Indicator
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years)
Unit
years
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
242 places, 8,554 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Number of years a person of school entrance age can expect to spend within the specified level of education. For a child of a certain age a, the school life expectancy is calculated as the sum of the age specific enrolment rates for the levels of education specified. The part of the enrolment that is not distributed by age is divided by the school-age population for the level of education they are enrolled in, and multiplied by the duration of that level of education. The result is then added to the sum of the age-specific enrolment rates. A relatively high SLE indicates greater probability for children to spend more years in education and higher overall retention within the education system. It must be noted that the expected number of years does not necessarily coincide with the expected number of grades of education completed, because of repetition. Since school life expectancy is an average based on participation in different levels of education, the expected number of years of schooling may be pulled down by the magnitude of children who never go to school. Those children who are in school may benefit from many more years of education than the average.