School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes was 6.74 years in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
6.74 years
World rank
42nd
of 218 countries
All-time high
6.74 years
in 2023
All-time low
1.21 years
in 1982
Years of data
45
1970–2023
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Afghanistan, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 6.74 years for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in 2023. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Afghanistan peaked at 6.74 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.21 years, in 1982.
That places Afghanistan 42nd out of 218 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.9 years | — |
| 1971 | 1.95 years | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 1.98 years | +1.3% |
| 1973 | 2.01 years | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 2.1 years | +4.8% |
| 1975 | 2.09 years | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 2.14 years | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 2.19 years | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 2.26 years | +3.3% |
| 1980 | 2.63 years | +16.3% |
| 1981 | 2.97 years | +12.9% |
| 1982 | 1.21 years | -59.3% |
| 1984 | 1.48 years | +22.4% |
| 1985 | 1.51 years | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 1.6 years | +6.2% |
| 1988 | 2.04 years | +27.7% |
| 1989 | 1.91 years | -6.6% |
| 1990 | 1.86 years | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 1.9 years | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 2.07 years | +9.1% |
| 1994 | 2.69 years | +29.9% |
| 1995 | 2.86 years | +6.4% |
| 1998 | 1.98 years | -30.8% |
| 1999 | 1.58 years | -20.3% |
| 2000 | 1.29 years | -18.4% |
| 2001 | 1.33 years | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 4.54 years | +241.5% |
| 2003 | 5.72 years | +26.1% |
| 2004 | 6.33 years | +10.6% |
| 2005 | 5.97 years | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 6.14 years | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 6.13 years | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 6.27 years | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 5.98 years | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 6.21 years | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 6.09 years | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 6.39 years | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 6.49 years | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 6.6 years | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 6.41 years | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 6.42 years | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 6.41 years | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 6.47 years | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 6.54 years | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 6.74 years | +3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.07 years | 1.9 years | 2.26 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 1.92 years | 1.21 years | 2.97 years | 8 |
| 1990s | 2.13 years | 1.58 years | 2.86 years | 7 |
| 2000s | 4.97 years | 1.29 years | 6.33 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.4 years | 6.09 years | 6.6 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.74 years | 6.74 years | 6.74 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 39 Saint Lucia 6.78 years compare
- 40 Peru 6.76 years compare
- 41 Sweden 6.75 years compare
- 43 Sao Tome and Principe 6.7 years compare
- 44 Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 6.7 years compare
- 45 Madagascar 6.68 years compare
More education data for Afghanistan
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 163,167 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 1 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 6 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 55.0% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 42.6% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 112.23 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary 112.2% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Afghanistan?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Afghanistan was 6.74 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 6.74 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.21 years in 1982.
- How does Afghanistan rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Afghanistan ranks 42nd out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release