School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Burundi
Burundi: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 6.13 years in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
6.13 years
World rank
74th
of 218 countries
All-time high
8.5 years
in 2011
All-time low
1.22 years
in 1977
Years of data
50
1971–2025
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Burundi, 1971–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2025, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Burundi stood at 6.13 years.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Burundi peaked at 8.5 years in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1.22 years, in 1977.
That places Burundi 74th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 Burundi, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.95 years | — |
| 1972 | 1.89 years | -3.4% |
| 1973 | 1.43 years | -24.2% |
| 1974 | 1.28 years | -10.6% |
| 1975 | 1.27 years | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 1.24 years | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 1.22 years | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 1.33 years | +8.7% |
| 1979 | 1.28 years | -3.2% |
| 1980 | 1.42 years | +10.5% |
| 1981 | 1.52 years | +7.2% |
| 1982 | 1.75 years | +15.3% |
| 1983 | 2.13 years | +21.4% |
| 1984 | 2.41 years | +13.2% |
| 1985 | 2.67 years | +10.8% |
| 1986 | 2.93 years | +9.6% |
| 1987 | 3.33 years | +13.9% |
| 1988 | 3.8 years | +14.0% |
| 1989 | 3.74 years | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 3.76 years | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 3.83 years | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 3.68 years | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 3.87 years | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 2.88 years | -25.5% |
| 1996 | 2.28 years | -20.8% |
| 1997 | 2.4 years | +5.1% |
| 1998 | 2.89 years | +20.5% |
| 1999 | 3.43 years | +19.0% |
| 2000 | 3.62 years | +5.5% |
| 2001 | 3.79 years | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 4.16 years | +9.6% |
| 2003 | 4.55 years | +9.4% |
| 2004 | 4.84 years | +6.4% |
| 2005 | 5.14 years | +6.2% |
| 2006 | 6.48 years | +26.1% |
| 2007 | 7.2 years | +11.2% |
| 2008 | 7.58 years | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 8.12 years | +7.1% |
| 2010 | 8.35 years | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 8.5 years | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 8.29 years | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 8.04 years | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 7.69 years | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 7.31 years | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 7.03 years | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 6.71 years | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 6.5 years | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 6.27 years | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 6.27 years | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 6.13 years | -2.1% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's 6.13 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 5.81 years, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Burundi's 6.13 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.13 years, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.43 years | 1.22 years | 1.95 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 2.57 years | 1.42 years | 3.8 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.22 years | 2.28 years | 3.87 years | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.55 years | 3.62 years | 8.12 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.47 years | 6.27 years | 8.5 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.2 years | 6.13 years | 6.27 years | 2 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
- 71 Marshall Islands 6.17 years compare
- 72 Mexico 6.15 years compare
- 73 Spain 6.14 years compare
- 75 United Kingdom 6.13 years compare
- 76 Dominican Republic 6.12 years compare
- 77 Gambia 6.11 years compare
More education data for Burundi
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 27,748 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 646,726 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 115,798 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 117,464 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,027 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.52 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.06 % change on previous year (2020)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1748 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Burundi?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Burundi was 6.13 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 8.5 years in 2011.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.22 years in 1977.
- How does Burundi rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Burundi ranks 74th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Burundi 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 — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release