School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104): School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) was 3.28 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
3.28 years
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
159th
of 221 groups
All-time high
3.35 years
in 2021
All-time low
1.65 years
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2024, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) stood at 3.28 years.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) peaked at 3.35 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.65 years, in 1971.
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 159th of 221 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.65 years | — |
| 1971 | 1.65 years | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 1.66 years | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 1.67 years | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 1.67 years | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 1.68 years | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 1.68 years | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 1.7 years | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 1.71 years | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 1.72 years | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 1.75 years | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 1.8 years | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 1.82 years | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 1.85 years | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 1.93 years | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 1.95 years | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 2 years | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 2 years | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 2 years | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 2.01 years | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 2.06 years | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 2.18 years | +6.0% |
| 1992 | 2.3 years | +5.6% |
| 1993 | 2.41 years | +4.7% |
| 1994 | 2.51 years | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 2.54 years | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 2.51 years | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 2.49 years | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 2.46 years | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 2.44 years | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 2.32 years | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 2.33 years | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 2.34 years | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 2.33 years | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 2.39 years | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 2.43 years | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 2.54 years | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 2.58 years | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 2.58 years | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 2.64 years | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 2.71 years | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 2.71 years | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 2.8 years | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 3.02 years | +7.7% |
| 2014 | 3.16 years | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 3.28 years | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 3.29 years | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 3.34 years | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 3.3 years | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 3.32 years | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 3.31 years | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 3.35 years | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 3.3 years | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 3.29 years | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 3.28 years | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.68 years | 1.65 years | 1.72 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.91 years | 1.75 years | 2.01 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.39 years | 2.06 years | 2.54 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.45 years | 2.32 years | 2.64 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.09 years | 2.71 years | 3.34 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3 years | 3.28 years | 3.35 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- 156 Bangladesh 4.51 years compare
- 157 Iraq 4.5 years compare
- 158 Togo 4.45 years compare
- 159 Saint Lucia 4.4 years compare
- 160 Anguilla 4.39 years compare
- 161 Eswatini 4.28 years compare
- 162 Saint Helena 4.24 years compare
More education data for ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 545,537 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 0.2683 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.24 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 7.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14.16 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.99 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) was 3.28 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.35 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.65 years in 1971.
- How does ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 159th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release