Statizoid

School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) by country

Expected years of schooling is the number of years a child of school entrance age is expected to spend at school, or university, including years spent on repetition. It is the sum of the age-specific enrolment ratios for primary, secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education.

Countries reporting
181
Highest
20.51 years
Australia
Lowest
5.36 years
Papua New Guinea
Median
13.41 years
Years covered
50
1970–2019
Data points
7,038

What the numbers show

School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) is currently reported for 181 countries. The highest value is 20.51 years in Australia; the lowest is 5.36 years in Papua New Guinea.

The median across all reporting countries is 13.41 years, and the mean is 13.32 years.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 4.

Over the past decade 143 countries rose and 29 fell. The largest increase was in Angola (up 151.3%), and the largest decrease in British Virgin Islands (down 25.8%).

School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Australia 20.51 years 2018 — rising
2 Ireland 19.76 years 2018 up 14.4% rising
3 Sweden 19.69 years 2018 up 25.1% rising
4 Belgium 19.56 years 2018 up 3.0% rising
5 Greece 19.5 years 2018 up 22.9% rising
6 Finland 19.48 years 2018 up 14.3% rising
7 Iceland 19.18 years 2018 up 4.2% rising
8 New Zealand 18.88 years 2018 up 0.2% rising
9 Denmark 18.79 years 2018 up 12.2% rising
10 Grenada 18.63 years 2018 up 5.3% rising
11 Netherlands 18.56 years 2018 up 10.8% rising
12 Turkey 18.16 years 2018 up 45.4% rising
13 Norway 18.12 years 2018 up 4.2% rising
14 Spain 17.76 years 2018 up 11.3% rising
15 Argentina 17.65 years 2017 up 9.2% rising
16 Slovenia 17.6 years 2018 up 3.8% rising
17 Saint Kitts and Nevis 17.45 years 2015 up 20.3% rising
18 United Kingdom 17.25 years 2018 up 8.0% rising
19 Hong Kong 17.22 years 2019 up 8.3% rising
20 Germany 16.93 years 2018 up 1.2% rising
21 Uruguay 16.84 years 2017 up 12.6% rising
22 Portugal 16.72 years 2018 up 4.8% rising
23 Chile 16.59 years 2018 up 11.5% rising
24 Malta 16.58 years 2018 up 13.2% rising
25 Lithuania 16.57 years 2018 down 0.9% rising
26 Costa Rica 16.55 years 2019 up 15.6% rising
27 South Korea 16.49 years 2018 down 1.4% rising
28 Macao 16.44 years 2019 up 23.1% rising
29 Puerto Rico 16.42 years 2018 down 0.1% flat
30 Switzerland 16.41 years 2018 up 6.7% rising
31 Bahrain 16.3 years 2019 up 20.0% rising
32 United States 16.28 years 2018 up 2.1% rising
33 Czechia 16.28 years 2018 up 5.3% rising
34 Latvia 16.23 years 2018 up 1.9% rising
35 Canada 16.22 years 2018 up 6.9% flat
36 Italy 16.18 years 2018 down 1.6% rising
37 Israel 16.13 years 2018 up 2.4% rising
38 Austria 16.07 years 2018 up 1.9% rising
39 Saudi Arabia 16.03 years 2019 up 17.5% rising
40 Poland 16.03 years 2018 up 6.8% rising
41 Estonia 15.91 years 2018 down 1.2% rising
42 France 15.8 years 2018 up 4.9% rising
43 Russia 15.71 years 2018 up 12.3% rising
44 Georgia 15.62 years 2019 up 15.6% rising
45 Kazakhstan 15.61 years 2019 up 7.3% rising
46 Libya 15.45 years 2003 — rising
47 Thailand 15.42 years 2016 up 20.5% rising
48 Belarus 15.4 years 2018 down 0.6% rising
49 Cyprus 15.36 years 2018 up 9.2% rising
50 Barbados 15.29 years 2011 up 9.3% rising
51 Ecuador 15.2 years 2015 — rising
52 Croatia 15.18 years 2018 up 7.2% rising
53 Hungary 15.13 years 2018 down 1.0% rising
54 Tunisia 15.13 years 2016 up 6.1% rising
55 Mauritius 15.06 years 2017 up 10.4% rising
56 Peru 14.99 years 2017 up 17.0% rising
57 Montenegro 14.95 years 2019 up 0.2% rising
58 Mexico 14.87 years 2018 up 12.6% rising
59 Ukraine 14.86 years 2014 up 3.6% rising
60 Antigua and Barbuda 14.86 years 2012 down 3.3% flat
61 Albania 14.82 years 2019 up 20.8% rising
62 Iran 14.81 years 2017 up 23.3% rising
63 Kuwait 14.69 years 2015 up 8.9% rising
64 Serbia 14.66 years 2019 up 7.5% rising
65 Liechtenstein 14.62 years 2018 down 0.2% flat
66 Mongolia 14.58 years 2010 up 55.2% rising
67 Tonga 14.53 years 2003 — rising
68 Slovakia 14.48 years 2018 down 2.6% rising
69 Colombia 14.4 years 2018 up 6.5% rising
70 United Arab Emirates 14.34 years 2017 — rising
71 Algeria 14.33 years 2011 up 28.1% rising
72 Venezuela 14.32 years 2009 up 35.2% rising
73 Luxembourg 14.32 years 2018 up 5.7% rising
74 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 14.32 years 2015 up 8.1% rising
75 Oman 14.31 years 2019 up 7.0% rising
76 Cuba 14.28 years 2018 down 18.3% rising
77 Romania 14.28 years 2018 down 6.9% rising
78 Dominican Republic 14.22 years 2017 up 4.3% rising
79 Bulgaria 14.2 years 2018 up 0.9% rising
80 Seychelles 14.19 years 2019 up 6.6% rising
81 Sri Lanka 14.11 years 2018 up 3.7% rising
82 Brunei 14.06 years 2019 down 0.4% rising
83 Morocco 13.96 years 2019 up 30.0% rising
84 Brazil 13.93 years 2011 down 5.7% flat
85 Fiji 13.92 years 2004 up 11.5% rising
86 Aruba 13.69 years 2012 up 3.9% flat
87 Malaysia 13.68 years 2017 up 10.8% rising
88 Indonesia 13.61 years 2018 up 16.5% rising
90 North Macedonia 13.51 years 2018 up 4.9% rising
91 Azerbaijan 13.47 years 2019 — rising
92 Palestine 13.41 years 2019 up 1.0% rising
93 Egypt 13.33 years 2017 up 13.6% rising
94 Nepal 13.15 years 2019 up 18.8% rising
95 Philippines 13.15 years 2017 up 15.7% rising
96 Belize 13.14 years 2019 up 5.6% rising
97 Armenia 13.11 years 2019 up 1.2% rising
98 Bhutan 13.1 years 2018 up 23.3% rising
99 San Marino 13.1 years 2019 down 16.2% falling
100 Kyrgyzstan 13.04 years 2019 up 4.4% rising
101 Saint Lucia 12.94 years 2019 up 2.7% rising
102 Panama 12.91 years 2016 up 0.1% rising
103 Eswatini 12.79 years 2013 up 28.0% rising
104 Bermuda 12.71 years 2015 up 1.2% rising
105 Cape Verde 12.7 years 2018 up 1.1% rising
106 Togo 12.66 years 2017 up 23.7% rising
107 Benin 12.61 years 2016 up 45.4% volatile
108 Uzbekistan 12.48 years 2019 up 9.2% rising
109 China 12.43 years 2010 up 25.8% rising
110 Botswana 12.42 years 2008 up 3.2% rising
111 Sao Tome and Principe 12.38 years 2015 up 25.1% rising
112 Jamaica 12.34 years 2015 up 0.4% rising
113 Qatar 12.31 years 2019 down 4.9% rising
114 Trinidad and Tobago 12.27 years 2004 up 11.4% rising
115 Paraguay 12.19 years 2010 up 4.3% rising
116 Gabon 12.19 years 2001 up 3.7% rising
117 Maldives 12.16 years 2003 up 14.7% rising
118 Lesotho 12.13 years 2017 up 7.6% rising
119 Gibraltar 12.12 years 2009 up 11.3% rising
120 Cameroon 12.1 years 2016 up 47.7% rising
121 Bangladesh 12.04 years 2018 up 39.1% rising
122 Cayman Islands 12.03 years 2008 down 5.4% falling
123 Samoa 12 years 2000 — rising
124 British Virgin Islands 11.97 years 2018 down 25.8% falling
125 Ghana 11.87 years 2019 up 17.1% rising
126 Kiribati 11.82 years 2008 up 18.2% rising
127 Bahamas 11.72 years 1995 down 4.3% falling
128 El Salvador 11.59 years 2018 down 6.2% rising
129 Namibia 11.54 years 2006 down 4.0% flat
130 India 11.46 years 2019 up 10.0% rising
131 Guyana 11.43 years 2012 up 4.9% rising
132 Moldova 11.43 years 2019 down 3.5% flat
133 Tajikistan 11.39 years 2013 up 8.5% flat
134 Suriname 11.37 years 2002 down 3.8% flat
135 Zimbabwe 11.36 years 2013 up 14.6% rising
136 Comoros 11.24 years 2014 up 16.7% rising
137 Rwanda 11.23 years 2019 up 2.4% rising
138 Malawi 10.91 years 2011 up 2.3% rising
139 Uganda 10.87 years 2004 up 97.0% rising
140 Nicaragua 10.86 years 2002 up 32.9% rising
141 Liberia 10.79 years 2000 — volatile
142 Burundi 10.78 years 2018 up 32.5% volatile
143 Guatemala 10.75 years 2015 up 4.3% rising
144 Congo 10.73 years 2012 up 17.2% flat
145 Myanmar 10.67 years 2018 up 30.0% rising
146 Vanuatu 10.6 years 2004 up 10.0% rising
147 Cambodia 10.55 years 2008 up 38.3% rising
148 Laos 10.48 years 2019 up 7.6% rising
149 Jordan 10.42 years 2018 down 17.0% rising
150 Lebanon 10.35 years 1985 down 4.3% flat
151 Vietnam 10.34 years 1998 up 31.8% rising
152 Kenya 10.27 years 2009 up 25.4% rising
153 Afghanistan 10.2 years 2018 up 16.9% volatile
154 Madagascar 10.17 years 2018 up 4.6% rising
155 Iraq 10.16 years 2004 up 4.3% rising
156 Honduras 10.06 years 2017 down 1.0% rising
157 Mozambique 9.97 years 2017 up 9.4% rising
158 Cote d'Ivoire 9.95 years 2017 — rising
159 Democratic Republic of Congo 9.61 years 2013 up 19.9% rising
160 Nauru 9.57 years 2008 up 0.2% flat
161 Angola 9.56 years 2011 up 151.3% rising
162 Mauritania 9.35 years 2019 up 19.9% rising
163 Burkina Faso 9.26 years 2019 up 47.3% volatile
164 Solomon Islands 9.23 years 2007 up 28.5% rising
165 Syria 9.16 years 2013 down 13.5% rising
166 Tanzania 9.12 years 2019 down 1.9% rising
167 Yemen 9.1 years 2011 up 15.8% rising
168 Guinea 9.01 years 2014 up 36.3% volatile
169 Senegal 8.84 years 2019 up 15.4% rising
170 Nigeria 8.68 years 2011 up 12.1% rising
171 Ethiopia 8.41 years 2012 up 60.4% volatile
172 Pakistan 8.28 years 2018 up 22.9% rising
173 Eritrea 8.03 years 2015 down 0.5% rising
174 Sudan 7.61 years 2015 up 19.9% rising
175 Zambia 7.53 years 1990 up 2.7% rising
176 Mali 7.46 years 2017 up 4.6% volatile
177 Chad 7.35 years 2015 up 34.5% rising
178 Haiti 6.89 years 1986 up 51.2% rising
180 Djibouti 6.46 years 2011 up 90.7% rising
181 Niger 6.41 years 2017 up 64.1% volatile
182 Sierra Leone 6.35 years 2001 up 50.2% rising
183 Papua New Guinea 5.36 years 1998 up 32.6% rising

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

About this data

Indicator
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years)
Unit
years
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
228 places, 7,038 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Expected years of schooling is the number of years a child of school entrance age is expected to spend at school, or university, including years spent on repetition. It is the sum of the age-specific enrolment ratios for primary, secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education.