School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female (years) (life) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female (years) (life) was 9.56 years in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
9.56 years
World rank
175th
of 208 countries
All-time high
9.56 years
in 2021
All-time low
4.7 years
in 1971
Years of data
32
1971–2021
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1971–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2021, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 9.56 years. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 32.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 9.56 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 4.7 years, in 1971.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 175th of 208 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female (years) (life) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 4.7 years | — |
| 1972 | 4.9 years | +4.4% |
| 1973 | 4.78 years | -2.6% |
| 1974 | 4.86 years | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 5.1 years | +4.9% |
| 1976 | 4.98 years | -2.2% |
| 1977 | 5.1 years | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 5.24 years | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 5.57 years | +6.3% |
| 1980 | 5.46 years | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 5.54 years | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 5.62 years | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 5.88 years | +4.8% |
| 1984 | 5.98 years | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 5.16 years | -13.7% |
| 1986 | 5.17 years | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 5.03 years | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 5.19 years | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 4.89 years | -5.7% |
| 1993 | 5.1 years | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 4.86 years | -4.7% |
| 1995 | 5.04 years | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 5.89 years | +16.8% |
| 2008 | 6.55 years | +11.2% |
| 2009 | 6.68 years | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 6.74 years | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 7.24 years | +7.4% |
| 2012 | 7.21 years | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 7.62 years | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 7.78 years | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 8.02 years | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 9.56 years | +19.2% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 9.56 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 7.45 years, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 9.56 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.72 years, 98% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.03 years | 4.7 years | 5.57 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 5.45 years | 5.03 years | 5.98 years | 9 |
| 1990s | 4.97 years | 4.86 years | 5.1 years | 4 |
| 2000s | 6.37 years | 5.89 years | 6.68 years | 3 |
| 2010s | 7.43 years | 6.74 years | 8.02 years | 6 |
| 2020s | 9.56 years | 9.56 years | 9.56 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 172 Madagascar 9.72 years compare
- 173 Cameroon 9.6 years compare
- 174 Mozambique 9.58 years compare
- 176 El Salvador 9.53 years compare
- 177 San Marino 9.44 years compare
- 178 Senegal 9.29 years compare
More education data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 621,578 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.99 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,532 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 427,300 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.93 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 21.15 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 7.35 % change on previous year (2021)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1999 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female in Democratic Republic of Congo was 9.56 years in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 9.56 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.7 years in 1971.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 175th out of 208 countries with data for 2021.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, female rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release