School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)
ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105): School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 5.39 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
5.39 years
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
163rd
of 221 groups
All-time high
5.44 years
in 2006
All-time low
2.38 years
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) is 5.39 years, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) peaked at 5.44 years in 2006 and was at its lowest, 2.38 years, in 1970.
That places ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) 163rd out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105), year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.38 years | — |
| 1971 | 2.49 years | +4.5% |
| 1972 | 2.63 years | +5.6% |
| 1973 | 2.71 years | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 2.71 years | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 2.72 years | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 2.75 years | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 3.16 years | +14.8% |
| 1978 | 3.7 years | +17.1% |
| 1979 | 4.18 years | +12.9% |
| 1980 | 4.38 years | +4.9% |
| 1981 | 4.64 years | +6.0% |
| 1982 | 4.96 years | +6.9% |
| 1983 | 4.95 years | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 4.88 years | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 4.68 years | -4.0% |
| 1986 | 4.24 years | -9.5% |
| 1987 | 4.12 years | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 4 years | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 3.96 years | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 4.04 years | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 4.07 years | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 4.21 years | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 4.36 years | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 4.41 years | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 4.33 years | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 4.05 years | -6.6% |
| 1997 | 4.31 years | +6.5% |
| 1998 | 4.54 years | +5.3% |
| 1999 | 4.81 years | +6.0% |
| 2000 | 5 years | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 4.81 years | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 4.93 years | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 4.99 years | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 5.27 years | +5.7% |
| 2005 | 5.36 years | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 5.44 years | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 5.12 years | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 4.91 years | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 5.01 years | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 5.04 years | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 5.2 years | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 5.29 years | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 5.4 years | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 5.3 years | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 5.16 years | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 5.16 years | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 5.19 years | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 5.14 years | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 5.2 years | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 5.23 years | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 5.21 years | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 5.29 years | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 5.38 years | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 5.39 years | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.94 years | 2.38 years | 4.18 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.48 years | 3.96 years | 4.96 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.31 years | 4.04 years | 4.81 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.08 years | 4.81 years | 5.44 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.21 years | 5.04 years | 5.4 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.3 years | 5.21 years | 5.39 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)
- 160 France 5.17 years compare
- 161 Liechtenstein 5.15 years compare
- 162 Italy 5.14 years compare
- 163 British Virgin Islands 5.13 years compare
- 164 Senegal 5.13 years compare
- 165 Ethiopia 5.1 years compare
- 166 Solomon Islands 5.05 years compare
More education data for ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.8591 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.54 million (2020)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7446 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 947,845 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.82 million (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 873,576 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.35 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.80 million (2020)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 15.44 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.901 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) was 5.39 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- The highest recorded value was 5.44 years in 2006.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.38 years in 1970.
- How does ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) ranks 163rd out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) 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