School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in New Zealand

New Zealand: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes was 19.21 years in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
19.21 years
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
5th
of 186 countries
All-time high
19.68 years
in 2021
All-time low
17.98 years
in 2016
Years of data
14
2005–2024

School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in New Zealand, 2005–2024

051015202005201420242005: 19.1 years2011: 19.5 years2013: 19.2 years2014: 19.1 years2015: 19 years2016: 18 years2017: 18.5 years2018: 18.3 years2019: 19.5 years2020: 19.2 years2021: 19.7 years2022: 19.3 years2023: 19.1 years2024: 19.2 years

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.

Analysis

New Zealand recorded 19.21 years for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in 2024.

That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in New Zealand peaked at 19.68 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 17.98 years, in 2016.

New Zealand ranks 5th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) in New Zealand, 2005 to 2024.
Year years Change
2005 19.12 years
2011 19.51 years +2.0%
2013 19.17 years -1.7%
2014 19.07 years -0.5%
2015 18.95 years -0.6%
2016 17.98 years -5.1%
2017 18.46 years +2.7%
2018 18.32 years -0.8%
2019 19.47 years +6.3%
2020 19.19 years -1.4%
2021 19.68 years +2.6%
2022 19.31 years -1.9%
2023 19.14 years -0.9%
2024 19.21 years +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 19.12 years 19.12 years 19.12 years 1
2010s 18.87 years 17.98 years 19.51 years 8
2020s 19.31 years 19.14 years 19.68 years 5

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 2 Greece 20.9 years compare
  2. 3 Australia 20.63 years compare
  3. 4 Finland 19.63 years compare
  4. 6 Saint Kitts and Nevis 19.06 years compare
  5. 7 Belgium 18.92 years compare
  6. 8 Ireland 18.81 years compare

See the full ranking of 407 places →

More education data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in New Zealand?
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in New Zealand was 19.21 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 19.68 years in 2021.
What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 17.98 years in 2016.
How does New Zealand rank for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
New Zealand ranks 5th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
Is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this New Zealand 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.

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School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-life-expectancy-primary-to-tertiary-both-sexes-years-2/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years)
Unit
years
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
407 places, 13,852 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release