School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Canada
Canada: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 5.7 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
5.7 years
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
129th
of 218 countries
All-time high
5.99 years
in 2015
All-time low
5.68 years
in 2022
Years of data
21
2000–2023
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Canada, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Canada stood at 5.7 years.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Canada peaked at 5.99 years in 2015 and was at its lowest, 5.68 years, in 2022.
Canada ranks 129th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Canada, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.97 years | — |
| 2004 | 5.97 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5.92 years | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 5.99 years | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 5.97 years | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 5.92 years | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 5.98 years | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 5.95 years | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 5.91 years | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 5.97 years | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 5.96 years | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 5.97 years | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 5.99 years | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 5.91 years | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 5.92 years | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 5.92 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5.83 years | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 5.81 years | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 5.71 years | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 5.68 years | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 5.7 years | +0.3% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 5.7 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.86 years, 97% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.96 years | 5.92 years | 5.99 years | 7 |
| 2010s | 5.93 years | 5.83 years | 5.99 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.73 years | 5.68 years | 5.81 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More education data for Canada
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 133,275 (1996)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2011)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 291,075 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 273,465 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.70 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0607 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Canada?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Canada was 5.7 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 5.99 years in 2015.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.68 years in 2022.
- How does Canada rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Canada ranks 129th out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Canada 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 — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release