School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Uruguay
Uruguay: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) was 6.43 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
6.43 years
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
56th
of 218 countries
All-time high
7.42 years
in 1981
All-time low
6.25 years
in 2019
Years of data
54
1970–2023
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Uruguay, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Uruguay recorded 6.43 years for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in 2023.
The figure is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Uruguay peaked at 7.42 years in 1981 and was at its lowest, 6.25 years, in 2019.
That places Uruguay 56th out of 218 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (years) (School both) in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6.86 years | — |
| 1971 | 6.94 years | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 6.77 years | -2.4% |
| 1973 | 6.8 years | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 6.39 years | -6.1% |
| 1975 | 6.26 years | -2.0% |
| 1976 | 6.31 years | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 6.37 years | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 6.41 years | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 6.41 years | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 6.46 years | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 7.42 years | +15.0% |
| 1982 | 6.82 years | -8.1% |
| 1983 | 6.6 years | -3.3% |
| 1984 | 6.49 years | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 6.51 years | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 6.44 years | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 6.45 years | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 6.54 years | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 6.64 years | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 6.67 years | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 6.59 years | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 6.61 years | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 6.64 years | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 6.63 years | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 6.66 years | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 6.7 years | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 7.01 years | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 6.96 years | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 6.94 years | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 6.65 years | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 6.63 years | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 6.72 years | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 6.71 years | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 6.7 years | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 6.68 years | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 6.71 years | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 6.65 years | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 6.62 years | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 6.61 years | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 6.56 years | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 6.61 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 6.55 years | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 6.55 years | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 6.52 years | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 6.52 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6.46 years | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 6.41 years | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 6.3 years | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 6.25 years | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 6.31 years | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 6.47 years | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 6.52 years | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 6.43 years | -1.3% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 6.43 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.86 years, 1.1× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 6.43 years is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.1 years, 1.1× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.55 years | 6.26 years | 6.94 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.64 years | 6.44 years | 7.42 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.74 years | 6.59 years | 7.01 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.67 years | 6.61 years | 6.72 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.47 years | 6.25 years | 6.61 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.43 years | 6.31 years | 6.52 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
More education data for Uruguay
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25,390 (2010)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 2,520 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 57,513 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 54,922 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 337,808 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 287,527 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.35 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0849 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Uruguay?
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes in Uruguay was 6.43 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 7.42 years in 1981.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, both sexes recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.25 years in 2019.
- How does Uruguay rank for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Uruguay ranks 56th out of 218 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, both sexes rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Uruguay 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