School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in Rwanda
Rwanda: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) was 3.02 years in 2024. ◆ Volatile
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Rwanda, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Rwanda recorded 3.02 years for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 43 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.4% on the previous year and up 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Rwanda peaked at 3.02 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.1351 years, in 1971.
Rwanda ranks 187th of 214 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0.1351 years | — |
| 1976 | 0.1737 years | +28.6% |
| 1977 | 0.188 years | +8.3% |
| 1978 | 0.2031 years | +8.1% |
| 1979 | 0.2158 years | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 0.608 years | +181.8% |
| 1981 | 0.9262 years | +52.3% |
| 1982 | 0.9847 years | +6.3% |
| 1983 | 1.08 years | +10.0% |
| 1984 | 1.12 years | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 1.22 years | +8.6% |
| 1986 | 1.23 years | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 1.24 years | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 1.25 years | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 1.32 years | +5.6% |
| 1990 | 1.29 years | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 1.27 years | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 1.03 years | -19.3% |
| 1999 | 0.4501 years | -56.1% |
| 2000 | 0.6143 years | +36.5% |
| 2001 | 0.669 years | +8.9% |
| 2002 | 0.7263 years | +8.6% |
| 2003 | 0.8151 years | +12.2% |
| 2004 | 0.9197 years | +12.8% |
| 2005 | 0.989 years | +7.5% |
| 2006 | 1.09 years | +10.4% |
| 2007 | 1.22 years | +12.0% |
| 2008 | 1.33 years | +8.4% |
| 2009 | 1.59 years | +20.1% |
| 2010 | 1.94 years | +22.0% |
| 2011 | 2.2 years | +13.0% |
| 2012 | 2.38 years | +8.3% |
| 2013 | 1.89 years | -20.4% |
| 2014 | 2.51 years | +32.5% |
| 2015 | 2.39 years | -4.9% |
| 2016 | 2.39 years | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 2.46 years | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 2.56 years | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 2.73 years | +6.7% |
| 2021 | 2.76 years | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 2.8 years | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 2.81 years | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 3.02 years | +7.4% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 3.02 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 2.3 years, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 3.02 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.05 years, 99% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in Rwanda changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +181.8% | 0.2158 years | 0.608 years |
| 1999 | -56.1% | 1.03 years | 0.4501 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.1831 years | 0.1351 years | 0.2158 years | 5 |
| 1980s | 1.1 years | 0.608 years | 1.32 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.01 years | 0.4501 years | 1.29 years | 4 |
| 2000s | 0.9968 years | 0.6143 years | 1.59 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.34 years | 1.89 years | 2.73 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.85 years | 2.76 years | 3.02 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More education data for Rwanda
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 34,324 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 795,920 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 305,636 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 299,593 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 901,617 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.01 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 5.93 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2109 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Rwanda?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Rwanda was 3.02 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 3.02 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1351 years in 1971.
- How does Rwanda rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- Rwanda ranks 187th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Rwanda 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
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release