School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Canada
Canada: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) was 15.49 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
15.49 years
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
59th
of 186 countries
All-time high
15.99 years
in 2017
All-time low
15.18 years
in 2010
Years of data
18
2000–2023
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Canada, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Canada recorded 15.49 years for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in 2023.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Canada peaked at 15.99 years in 2017 and was at its lowest, 15.18 years, in 2010.
That places Canada 59th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Canada, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.76 years | — |
| 2007 | 15.2 years | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 15.24 years | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 15.31 years | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 15.18 years | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 15.24 years | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 15.73 years | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 15.82 years | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 15.87 years | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 15.94 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 15.92 years | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 15.99 years | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 15.92 years | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 15.9 years | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 15.89 years | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 15.89 years | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 15.78 years | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 15.49 years | -1.8% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 15.49 years is below the median for high income countries, which is 16.09 years, 96% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.38 years | 15.2 years | 15.76 years | 4 |
| 2010s | 15.75 years | 15.18 years | 15.99 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.77 years | 15.49 years | 15.89 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More education data for Canada
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 133,275 (1996)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2011)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 291,075 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 273,465 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.70 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0607 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Canada?
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Canada was 15.49 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 15.99 years in 2017.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.18 years in 2010.
- How does Canada rank for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- Canada ranks 59th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release