School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in Jamaica
Jamaica: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) was 4.14 years in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
4.14 years
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
164th
of 214 countries
All-time high
4.86 years
in 1980
All-time low
3.36 years
in 1974
Years of data
42
1973–2024
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Jamaica, 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 4.14 years for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Jamaica peaked at 4.86 years in 1980 and was at its lowest, 3.36 years, in 1974.
That places Jamaica 164th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 3.64 years | — |
| 1974 | 3.36 years | -7.7% |
| 1975 | 3.81 years | +13.5% |
| 1976 | 4.24 years | +11.1% |
| 1977 | 4.28 years | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 4.59 years | +7.4% |
| 1980 | 4.86 years | +5.9% |
| 1981 | 4.63 years | -4.8% |
| 1982 | 4.5 years | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 4.53 years | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 4.43 years | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 4.52 years | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 4.37 years | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 4.43 years | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 4.66 years | +5.2% |
| 1989 | 4.57 years | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 4.83 years | +5.9% |
| 1993 | 4.52 years | -6.5% |
| 1999 | 4.05 years | -10.3% |
| 2000 | 4.02 years | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 4 years | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 4.02 years | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 4.05 years | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 4.29 years | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 4.25 years | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 4.32 years | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 4.4 years | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 4.51 years | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 4.5 years | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 4.55 years | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 4.23 years | -6.9% |
| 2014 | 4.28 years | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 4.23 years | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 4.36 years | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 4.18 years | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 4.17 years | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 4.29 years | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 4.15 years | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 4.27 years | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 4.11 years | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 4.24 years | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 4.14 years | -2.4% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 4.14 years is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.89 years, 70% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 4.14 years is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 5.14 years, 81% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.99 years | 3.36 years | 4.59 years | 6 |
| 1980s | 4.55 years | 4.37 years | 4.86 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.47 years | 4.05 years | 4.83 years | 3 |
| 2000s | 4.21 years | 4 years | 4.51 years | 9 |
| 2010s | 4.31 years | 4.17 years | 4.55 years | 9 |
| 2020s | 4.18 years | 4.11 years | 4.27 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More education data for Jamaica
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 11,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 4,597 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 52,983 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 51,265 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 177,095 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 211,097 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Jamaica?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Jamaica was 4.14 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 4.86 years in 1980.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.36 years in 1974.
- How does Jamaica rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- Jamaica ranks 164th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release