School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in United States of America
United States of America: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes was 15.92 years in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
15.92 years
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
50th
of 186 countries
All-time high
16.67 years
in 2016
All-time low
12.66 years
in 1971
Years of data
36
1971–2022
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in United States of America, 1971–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2022, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in United States of America stood at 15.92 years.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in United States of America peaked at 16.67 years in 2016 and was at its lowest, 12.66 years, in 1971.
That places United States of America 50th out of 186 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in United States of America, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 12.66 years | — |
| 1972 | 12.78 years | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 12.97 years | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 12.98 years | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 13.29 years | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 13.2 years | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 13.26 years | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 12.9 years | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 14.34 years | +11.2% |
| 1981 | 14.46 years | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 14.89 years | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 14.88 years | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 14.94 years | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 14.85 years | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 14.99 years | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 15.15 years | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 15.66 years | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 15.58 years | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 15.91 years | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 15.94 years | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 15.92 years | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 15.81 years | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 15.76 years | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 15.65 years | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 15.41 years | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 16.11 years | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 16.57 years | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 16.56 years | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 16.6 years | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 16.67 years | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 16.67 years | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 16.64 years | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 16.64 years | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 16.63 years | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 16.41 years | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 15.92 years | -3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.01 years | 12.66 years | 13.29 years | 8 |
| 1980s | 14.81 years | 14.34 years | 15.15 years | 8 |
| 1990s | 15.78 years | 15.58 years | 15.94 years | 8 |
| 2000s | 15.76 years | 15.41 years | 16.11 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 16.62 years | 16.56 years | 16.67 years | 7 |
| 2020s | 16.32 years | 15.92 years | 16.63 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
- 47 United States Virgin Islands 16.01 years compare
- 48 Hungary 16.01 years compare
- 49 Latvia 15.96 years compare
- 51 Libya 15.83 years compare
- 52 Costa Rica 15.78 years compare
- 53 United Arab Emirates 15.78 years compare
More education data for United States of America
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.14 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.35 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 23.83 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0708 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 23.83 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.33 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in United States of America?
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in United States of America was 15.92 years in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 16.67 years in 2016.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.66 years in 1971.
- How does United States of America rank for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- United States of America ranks 50th out of 186 countries with data for 2022.
- Is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States of America 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release