School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 6.74 years in 2023. ◆ Volatile
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 (years) (School both) 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% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 6.74 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 5.81 years, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 6.74 years is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.82 years, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +241.5% | 1.33 years | 4.54 years |
| 1982 | -59.3% | 2.97 years | 1.21 years |
| 1998 | -30.8% | 2.86 years | 1.98 years |
| 1994 | +29.9% | 2.07 years | 2.69 years |
| 1988 | +27.7% | 1.6 years | 2.04 years |
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 6.7 years compare
- 45 Madagascar 6.68 years compare
More education data for Afghanistan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 88,020 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 343,942 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 13,837 (2003)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 10,383 (2003)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.51 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.56 % change on previous year (2019)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1811 units per person (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