School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in United States
United States: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 5.8 years in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
5.8 years
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
124th
of 218 countries
All-time high
6.26 years
in 1990
All-time low
5.32 years
in 1971
Years of data
39
1971–2022
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in United States, 1971–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2022, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in United States stood at 5.8 years.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in United States peaked at 6.26 years in 1990 and was at its lowest, 5.32 years, in 1971.
United States ranks 124th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in United States, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 5.32 years | — |
| 1972 | 5.33 years | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 5.51 years | +3.4% |
| 1974 | 5.51 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 5.43 years | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 5.54 years | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 5.51 years | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 5.5 years | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 5.49 years | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 6.03 years | +9.8% |
| 1981 | 6.03 years | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 6.2 years | +2.9% |
| 1983 | 6.23 years | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 6.18 years | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 6.15 years | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 6.15 years | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 6.14 years | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 6.26 years | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 6.2 years | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 6.17 years | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 6.16 years | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 6.24 years | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 6.2 years | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 6.14 years | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 6.14 years | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 6.05 years | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 6.09 years | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 6.18 years | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 5.96 years | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 5.96 years | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 5.98 years | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 6.02 years | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 6.08 years | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 6.11 years | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 6.07 years | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 6.05 years | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 6 years | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 5.89 years | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 5.8 years | -1.4% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 5.8 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.86 years, 99% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.46 years | 5.32 years | 5.54 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 6.14 years | 6.03 years | 6.23 years | 8 |
| 1990s | 6.19 years | 6.14 years | 6.26 years | 8 |
| 2000s | 6.11 years | 6.05 years | 6.18 years | 3 |
| 2010s | 6.03 years | 5.96 years | 6.11 years | 8 |
| 2020s | 5.9 years | 5.8 years | 6 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 121 Panama 5.82 years compare
- 122 Egypt 5.81 years compare
- 123 Central African Republic 5.81 years compare
- 125 New Caledonia 5.8 years compare
- 126 New Zealand 5.8 years compare
- 127 Cayman Islands 5.74 years compare
More education data for United States
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.74 million (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 419,732 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4.34 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.14 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.35 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 23.83 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0708 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in United States?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in United States was 5.8 years in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 6.26 years in 1990.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.32 years in 1971.
- How does United States rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- United States ranks 124th out of 218 countries with data for 2022.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release