School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Congo
Congo: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 5.3 years in 2023. ▼ Falling
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Congo, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Congo recorded 5.3 years for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in 2023.
That represents a change of down 18.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Congo peaked at 8.31 years in 1984 and was at its lowest, 3.37 years, in 1999.
Congo ranks 154th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 Congo, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 6.21 years | — |
| 1972 | 6.83 years | +9.9% |
| 1973 | 6.67 years | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 7.09 years | +6.4% |
| 1975 | 6.86 years | -3.2% |
| 1976 | 7.2 years | +4.8% |
| 1977 | 6.91 years | -4.0% |
| 1978 | 7.28 years | +5.4% |
| 1979 | 7.33 years | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 7.89 years | +7.7% |
| 1981 | 7.85 years | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 7.99 years | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 8.11 years | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 8.31 years | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 7.86 years | -5.4% |
| 1986 | 7.96 years | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 8.14 years | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 7.85 years | -3.6% |
| 1989 | 7.76 years | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 7.58 years | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 7.42 years | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 7.19 years | -3.0% |
| 1993 | 7.28 years | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 7 years | -3.9% |
| 1995 | 6.97 years | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 6.5 years | -6.8% |
| 1997 | 6.37 years | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 5.34 years | -16.2% |
| 1999 | 3.37 years | -36.9% |
| 2000 | 4.99 years | +48.0% |
| 2001 | 5.81 years | +16.4% |
| 2002 | 5.95 years | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 5.64 years | -5.1% |
| 2004 | 6.31 years | +11.9% |
| 2005 | 6.71 years | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 6.82 years | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 6.3 years | -7.6% |
| 2008 | 6.19 years | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 6.44 years | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 6.62 years | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 6.51 years | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 6.48 years | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 5.36 years | -17.4% |
| 2023 | 5.3 years | -1.0% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 5.3 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.02 years, 88% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 5.3 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.13 years, 86% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Congo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +48.0% | 3.37 years | 4.99 years |
| 1999 | -36.9% | 5.34 years | 3.37 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.93 years | 6.21 years | 7.33 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 7.97 years | 7.76 years | 8.31 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.5 years | 3.37 years | 7.58 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.12 years | 4.99 years | 6.82 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.24 years | 5.36 years | 6.62 years | 4 |
| 2020s | 5.3 years | 5.3 years | 5.3 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More education data for Congo
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 38,064 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 70,276 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 12,245 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 13,478 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 339,250 (2012)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 880,625 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2012)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1424 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Congo?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Congo was 5.3 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 8.31 years in 1984.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.37 years in 1999.
- How does Congo rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Congo ranks 154th out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Congo 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