School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries
SDG: Least Developed Countries: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes was 2.91 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
2.91 years
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
187th
of 221 groups
All-time high
2.93 years
in 2021
All-time low
0.781 years
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries is 2.91 years, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries peaked at 2.93 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.781 years, in 1970.
SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 187th of 221 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.781 years | — |
| 1971 | 0.7838 years | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 0.8041 years | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 0.8227 years | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 0.8219 years | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 0.8357 years | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 0.8438 years | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 0.865 years | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 0.8924 years | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 0.9295 years | +4.2% |
| 1980 | 0.9828 years | +5.7% |
| 1981 | 0.9916 years | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 1.03 years | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 1.08 years | +4.6% |
| 1984 | 1.1 years | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 1.09 years | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 1.08 years | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 1.1 years | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 1.11 years | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 1.12 years | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 1.11 years | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 1.18 years | +6.3% |
| 1992 | 1.22 years | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 1.27 years | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 1.33 years | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 1.4 years | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 1.45 years | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 1.5 years | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 1.55 years | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 1.62 years | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 1.69 years | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 1.76 years | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 1.84 years | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 1.86 years | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 1.9 years | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 1.95 years | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 2.02 years | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 2.07 years | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 2.16 years | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 2.27 years | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 2.36 years | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 2.44 years | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 2.51 years | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 2.6 years | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 2.66 years | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 2.69 years | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 2.78 years | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 2.8 years | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 2.86 years | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 2.88 years | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 2.92 years | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 2.93 years | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 2.93 years | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 2.92 years | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 2.91 years | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.838 years | 0.781 years | 0.9295 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.07 years | 0.9828 years | 1.12 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.36 years | 1.11 years | 1.62 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.95 years | 1.69 years | 2.27 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.66 years | 2.36 years | 2.88 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.92 years | 2.91 years | 2.93 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Least Developed Countries
More education data for SDG: Least Developed Countries
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 93.3% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 92.1% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 36.37 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 6.7% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 39.55 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 22.98 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 4.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 87.82 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 37.68 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 36.80 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: Least Developed Countries was 2.91 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 2.93 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.781 years in 1970.
- How does SDG: Least Developed Countries rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 187th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Least Developed Countries 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