School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Germany
Germany: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) was 17.34 years in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
17.34 years
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
26th
of 186 countries
All-time high
17.47 years
in 2023
All-time low
16.88 years
in 2016
Years of data
12
2013–2024
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Germany, 2013–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Germany recorded 17.34 years for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Germany peaked at 17.47 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 16.88 years, in 2016.
Germany ranks 26th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Germany, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 17.09 years | — |
| 2014 | 17.12 years | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 17.11 years | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 16.88 years | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 16.99 years | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 17.04 years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 17.22 years | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 17.23 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 17.34 years | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 17.31 years | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 17.47 years | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 17.34 years | -0.7% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 17.34 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 16.09 years, 1.1× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Germany's 17.34 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.14 years, 1.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 17.07 years | 16.88 years | 17.22 years | 7 |
| 2020s | 17.34 years | 17.23 years | 17.47 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More education data for Germany
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 618,670 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,242 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.27 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.97 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.31 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0396 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Germany?
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Germany was 17.34 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 17.47 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.88 years in 2016.
- How does Germany rank for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- Germany ranks 26th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Germany 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 — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release