School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes was 5.99 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
5.99 years
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
49th
of 221 groups
All-time high
6.07 years
in 2020
All-time low
3.42 years
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa is 5.99 years, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 6.07 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.42 years, in 1970.
UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 49th of 221 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.42 years | — |
| 1971 | 3.45 years | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 3.54 years | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 3.57 years | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 3.69 years | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 3.79 years | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 3.86 years | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 4.03 years | +4.4% |
| 1978 | 4.26 years | +5.7% |
| 1979 | 4.57 years | +7.2% |
| 1980 | 4.77 years | +4.3% |
| 1981 | 4.91 years | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 5.05 years | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 5.03 years | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 4.94 years | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 4.75 years | -3.8% |
| 1986 | 4.59 years | -3.4% |
| 1987 | 4.51 years | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 4.47 years | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 4.5 years | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 4.43 years | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 4.51 years | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 4.47 years | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 4.49 years | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 4.5 years | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 4.53 years | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 4.41 years | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 4.62 years | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 4.78 years | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 4.86 years | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 5 years | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 5.07 years | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 5.21 years | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 5.37 years | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 5.57 years | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 5.73 years | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 5.85 years | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 5.85 years | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 5.93 years | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 5.96 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 5.95 years | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 6.02 years | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 6.05 years | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 6.07 years | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 6.02 years | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 5.9 years | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 5.92 years | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 5.95 years | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 5.97 years | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 6.03 years | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 6.07 years | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 6.03 years | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 5.95 years | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 5.98 years | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 5.99 years | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.82 years | 3.42 years | 4.57 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.75 years | 4.47 years | 5.05 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.56 years | 4.41 years | 4.86 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.55 years | 5 years | 5.96 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.99 years | 5.9 years | 6.07 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6 years | 5.95 years | 6.07 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.42 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.54 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 10.53 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.60 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa was 5.99 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.07 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.42 years in 1970.
- How does UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 49th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa 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