School life expectancy, primary, female (years) (life female years) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: School life expectancy, primary, female (years) (life female years) was 9.94 years in 2024. ◆ Volatile
School life expectancy, primary, female in Sierra Leone, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2024, school life expectancy, primary, female in Sierra Leone stood at 9.94 years.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 36.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary, female in Sierra Leone peaked at 9.99 years in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.84 years, in 1973.
That places Sierra Leone 2nd out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
School life expectancy, primary, female (years) (life female years) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.94 years | — |
| 1972 | 2.03 years | +4.4% |
| 1973 | 1.84 years | -9.2% |
| 1974 | 1.96 years | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 1.99 years | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 2.11 years | +5.9% |
| 1977 | 2.21 years | +4.6% |
| 1978 | 2.25 years | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 2.92 years | +29.6% |
| 1981 | 3.05 years | +4.4% |
| 1982 | 3.2 years | +4.9% |
| 1983 | 3.2 years | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 3.37 years | +5.2% |
| 1985 | 3.58 years | +6.3% |
| 1988 | 3.34 years | -6.6% |
| 1989 | 3.11 years | -6.9% |
| 1990 | 2.93 years | -6.0% |
| 1991 | 2.62 years | -10.6% |
| 2000 | 3.68 years | +40.6% |
| 2001 | 3.78 years | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 8.16 years | +116.0% |
| 2011 | 6.86 years | -16.0% |
| 2012 | 7.15 years | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 7.26 years | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 7.38 years | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 7.49 years | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 7.75 years | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 6.98 years | -9.9% |
| 2019 | 8.84 years | +26.5% |
| 2020 | 8.71 years | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 9.65 years | +10.7% |
| 2022 | 9.99 years | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 9.78 years | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 9.94 years | +1.7% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 9.94 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 5.11 years, 1.9× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 9.94 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.17 years, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School life expectancy, primary, female (years) (life female years) in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +116.0% | 3.78 years | 8.16 years |
| 2000 | +40.6% | 2.62 years | 3.68 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.04 years | 1.84 years | 2.25 years | 8 |
| 1980s | 3.22 years | 2.92 years | 3.58 years | 8 |
| 1990s | 2.77 years | 2.62 years | 2.93 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.21 years | 3.68 years | 8.16 years | 3 |
| 2010s | 7.46 years | 6.86 years | 8.84 years | 8 |
| 2020s | 9.61 years | 8.71 years | 9.99 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More education data for Sierra Leone
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 38,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 73,295 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,708 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 92,723 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2393 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary, female in Sierra Leone?
- School life expectancy, primary, female in Sierra Leone was 9.94 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary, female recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 9.99 years in 2022.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary, female recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.84 years in 1973.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for school life expectancy, primary, female?
- Sierra Leone ranks 2nd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary, female rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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