School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Panama
Panama: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 5.82 years in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
5.82 years
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
121st
of 218 countries
All-time high
7.18 years
in 1973
All-time low
5.6 years
in 2016
Years of data
52
1970–2024
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Panama, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Panama is 5.82 years, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Panama peaked at 7.18 years in 1973 and was at its lowest, 5.6 years, in 2016.
That places Panama 121st out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Panama, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6.37 years | — |
| 1971 | 6.9 years | +8.2% |
| 1972 | 7.1 years | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 7.18 years | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 6.91 years | -3.7% |
| 1975 | 7.11 years | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 7.04 years | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 6.76 years | -4.0% |
| 1978 | 6.82 years | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 6.64 years | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 6.49 years | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 6.36 years | -1.9% |
| 1982 | 6.33 years | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 6.26 years | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 6.28 years | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 6.27 years | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 6.3 years | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 6.3 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 6.23 years | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 6.24 years | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 6.17 years | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 6 years | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 5.96 years | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 5.95 years | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 5.89 years | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 5.89 years | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 5.99 years | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 6.23 years | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 6.3 years | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 6.38 years | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 6.51 years | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 6.44 years | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 6.56 years | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 6.5 years | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 6.54 years | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 6.62 years | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 6.55 years | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 6.43 years | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 6.35 years | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 6.3 years | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 6.21 years | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 6.15 years | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 5.97 years | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 5.79 years | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 5.6 years | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 5.72 years | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 5.63 years | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 5.71 years | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 6.11 years | +7.0% |
| 2022 | 6.12 years | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 5.74 years | -6.2% |
| 2024 | 5.82 years | +1.5% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 5.82 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.86 years, 99% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Panama's 5.82 years is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.1 years, 95% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.88 years | 6.37 years | 7.18 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.3 years | 6.23 years | 6.49 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.01 years | 5.89 years | 6.23 years | 8 |
| 2000s | 6.48 years | 6.3 years | 6.62 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.97 years | 5.6 years | 6.35 years | 9 |
| 2020s | 5.9 years | 5.71 years | 6.12 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More education data for Panama
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 23,777 (2017)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 10,042 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 47,857 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 46,052 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 311,983 (2017)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 451,308 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0999 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Panama?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Panama was 5.82 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 7.18 years in 1973.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6 years in 2016.
- How does Panama rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Panama ranks 121st out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Panama 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