School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Iraq
Iraq: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 5.9 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
5.9 years
World rank
104th
of 218 countries
All-time high
6.69 years
in 1980
All-time low
4.59 years
in 1971
Years of data
33
1971–2023
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Iraq, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Iraq stood at 5.9 years.
The figure is down 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Iraq peaked at 6.69 years in 1980 and was at its lowest, 4.59 years, in 1971.
Iraq ranks 104th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Iraq, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 4.59 years | — |
| 1972 | 4.63 years | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 4.64 years | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 4.69 years | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 4.83 years | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 5.31 years | +9.9% |
| 1977 | 5.62 years | +6.0% |
| 1978 | 5.66 years | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 6.5 years | +15.0% |
| 1980 | 6.69 years | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 6.49 years | -3.0% |
| 1982 | 6.21 years | -4.3% |
| 1983 | 6.14 years | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 6.02 years | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 6.1 years | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 6.15 years | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 6.21 years | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 6.27 years | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 6.21 years | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 6.66 years | +7.2% |
| 1992 | 5.55 years | -16.7% |
| 1993 | 5.54 years | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 5 years | -9.7% |
| 1999 | 5.61 years | +12.2% |
| 2000 | 5.46 years | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 5.87 years | +7.5% |
| 2004 | 5.81 years | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 6.35 years | +9.4% |
| 2009 | 5.73 years | -9.8% |
| 2011 | 5.97 years | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 6.1 years | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 6.11 years | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 5.9 years | -3.4% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 5.9 years is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.84 years, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 5.9 years is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.82 years, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.16 years | 4.59 years | 6.5 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 6.25 years | 6.02 years | 6.69 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.67 years | 5 years | 6.66 years | 5 |
| 2000s | 5.85 years | 5.46 years | 6.35 years | 5 |
| 2010s | 6.06 years | 5.97 years | 6.11 years | 3 |
| 2020s | 5.9 years | 5.9 years | 5.9 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More education data for Iraq
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 148,363 (2007)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 818,729 (2007)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 55,944 (2007)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 52,985 (2007)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.04 million (2007)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2007)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.26 % change on previous year (2004)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2007)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1713 units per person (2007)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Iraq?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Iraq was 5.9 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 6.69 years in 1980.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.59 years in 1971.
- How does Iraq rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Iraq ranks 104th out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq 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