School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Barbados
Barbados: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 5 years in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
5 years
Change on year
down 5.1%
World rank
169th
of 218 countries
All-time high
7.03 years
in 1989
All-time low
5 years
in 2024
Years of data
42
1971–2024
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Barbados, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2024, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Barbados stood at 5 years. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is down 5.1% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Barbados peaked at 7.03 years in 1989 and was at its lowest, 5 years, in 2024.
That places Barbados 169th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Barbados, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 6.39 years | — |
| 1972 | 6.09 years | -4.7% |
| 1973 | 6.08 years | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 5.65 years | -7.1% |
| 1975 | 5.79 years | +2.6% |
| 1976 | 5.79 years | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 6.12 years | +5.7% |
| 1978 | 6.38 years | +4.2% |
| 1979 | 6.56 years | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 6.1 years | -7.0% |
| 1981 | 6.25 years | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 6.32 years | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 6.46 years | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 6.9 years | +6.7% |
| 1985 | 6.95 years | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 7.03 years | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 6.74 years | -4.1% |
| 1992 | 6.47 years | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 6.2 years | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 6.15 years | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 6.24 years | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 6.18 years | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 6.23 years | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 6.12 years | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 6.09 years | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 6.09 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6.03 years | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 6.04 years | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 5.99 years | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 6 years | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 6.02 years | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 5.79 years | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 5.73 years | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 5.73 years | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 5.67 years | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 5.68 years | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 5.7 years | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 5.66 years | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 5.55 years | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 5.4 years | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 5.26 years | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 5 years | -5.1% |
Barbados compared with similar countries
- Barbados's 5 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.86 years, 85% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Barbados's 5 years is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.1 years, 82% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.1 years | 5.65 years | 6.56 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 6.57 years | 6.1 years | 7.03 years | 7 |
| 1990s | 6.47 years | 6.2 years | 6.74 years | 3 |
| 2000s | 6.12 years | 5.99 years | 6.24 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.79 years | 5.67 years | 6.02 years | 8 |
| 2020s | 5.37 years | 5 years | 5.66 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
- 166 Solomon Islands 5.05 years compare
- 167 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.04 years compare
- 168 Syria 5 years compare
- 170 Czechia 5 years compare
- 171 Comoros 4.93 years compare
- 172 Micronesia (country) 4.92 years compare
More education data for Barbados
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1,244 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 279 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2,255 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2,277 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 18,457 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16,314 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -5.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0578 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Barbados?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Barbados was 5 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 7.03 years in 1989.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 5 years in 2024.
- How does Barbados rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Barbados ranks 169th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Barbados 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release