School life expectancy, primary, female (years) (life female years) in India
India: School life expectancy, primary, female (years) (life female years) was 5.58 years in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
5.58 years
Change on year
down 7.8%
World rank
130th
of 215 countries
All-time high
6.41 years
in 2016
All-time low
3.03 years
in 1971
Years of data
52
1971–2025
School life expectancy, primary, female in India, 1971–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2025, school life expectancy, primary, female in India stood at 5.58 years.
That represents a change of down 7.8% on the previous year and down 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, female in India peaked at 6.41 years in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3.03 years, in 1971.
India ranks 130th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary, female (years) (life female years) in India, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.03 years | — |
| 1972 | 3.08 years | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 3.24 years | +5.1% |
| 1974 | 3.22 years | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 3.25 years | +1.1% |
| 1976 | 3.25 years | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 3.36 years | +3.4% |
| 1978 | 3.18 years | -5.4% |
| 1979 | 3.21 years | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 3.27 years | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 3.34 years | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 3.37 years | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 3.48 years | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 3.56 years | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 3.6 years | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 3.75 years | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 3.69 years | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 3.77 years | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 3.85 years | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 3.84 years | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 3.91 years | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 3.95 years | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 4.11 years | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 4.17 years | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 4.14 years | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 4.14 years | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 4.14 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4.08 years | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 4.15 years | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 4.49 years | +8.0% |
| 2001 | 4.43 years | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 4.51 years | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 5.18 years | +15.0% |
| 2007 | 5.59 years | +7.9% |
| 2008 | 5.7 years | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 5.68 years | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 5.65 years | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 5.54 years | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 5.67 years | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 5.98 years | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 5.87 years | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 5.94 years | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 6.41 years | +7.9% |
| 2017 | 6.3 years | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 5.1 years | -19.0% |
| 2019 | 5.02 years | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 5.13 years | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 5.17 years | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 5.61 years | +8.6% |
| 2023 | 5.67 years | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 6.05 years | +6.7% |
| 2025 | 5.58 years | -7.8% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 5.58 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.99 years, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 5.58 years is below the median for South Asia, which is 5.93 years, 94% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.2 years | 3.03 years | 3.36 years | 9 |
| 1980s | 3.57 years | 3.27 years | 3.85 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.06 years | 3.84 years | 4.17 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.08 years | 4.43 years | 5.7 years | 7 |
| 2010s | 5.75 years | 5.02 years | 6.41 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.54 years | 5.13 years | 6.05 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, female in India?
- School life expectancy, primary, female in India was 5.58 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, female recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 6.41 years in 2016.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, female recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.03 years in 1971.
- How does India rank for school life expectancy, primary, female?
- India ranks 130th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, female rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary, female (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release