School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Cambodia
Cambodia: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 6.57 years in 2024. ▼ Falling
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Cambodia, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Cambodia is 6.57 years, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 2.0% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Cambodia peaked at 11.93 years in 1984 and was at its lowest, 1.82 years, in 1971.
That places Cambodia 50th out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Cambodia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.82 years | — |
| 1972 | 2.55 years | +40.6% |
| 1973 | 2.48 years | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 8.29 years | +234.1% |
| 1982 | 10.12 years | +22.1% |
| 1983 | 11.4 years | +12.6% |
| 1984 | 11.93 years | +4.7% |
| 1985 | 11.83 years | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 11.57 years | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 10.41 years | -10.1% |
| 1988 | 9.14 years | -12.2% |
| 1989 | 8.16 years | -10.7% |
| 1990 | 6.81 years | -16.6% |
| 1991 | 6.24 years | -8.3% |
| 1994 | 6.28 years | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 5.95 years | -5.2% |
| 1997 | 5.78 years | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 5.65 years | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 5.89 years | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 6.16 years | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 6.61 years | +7.3% |
| 2002 | 7.42 years | +12.3% |
| 2003 | 7.59 years | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 7.74 years | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 7.78 years | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 7.64 years | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 7.51 years | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 7.28 years | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 7.43 years | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 7.33 years | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 7.21 years | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 7.11 years | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 7.16 years | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 6.78 years | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 6.83 years | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 6.48 years | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 6.4 years | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 6.39 years | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 6.41 years | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 6.42 years | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 6.32 years | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 6.39 years | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 6.45 years | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 6.57 years | +2.0% |
Cambodia compared with similar countries
- Cambodia's 6.57 years is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.02 years, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cambodia's 6.57 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6.02 years, 1.1× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Cambodia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | +234.1% | 2.48 years | 8.29 years |
| 1972 | +40.6% | 1.82 years | 2.55 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.28 years | 1.82 years | 2.55 years | 3 |
| 1980s | 10.32 years | 8.16 years | 11.93 years | 9 |
| 1990s | 6.09 years | 5.65 years | 6.81 years | 7 |
| 2000s | 7.31 years | 6.16 years | 7.78 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.81 years | 6.39 years | 7.33 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.43 years | 6.32 years | 6.57 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cambodia
More education data for Cambodia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 107,312 (2021)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 124,310 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 199,569 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 201,390 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.17 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.07 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1285 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Cambodia?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Cambodia was 6.57 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Cambodia?
- The highest recorded value was 11.93 years in 1984.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Cambodia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.82 years in 1971.
- How does Cambodia rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Cambodia ranks 50th out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Cambodia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cambodia 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