School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in SDG: World
SDG: World: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) was 4.94 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
4.94 years
Change on year
down 0.3%
Rank
113th
of 221 groups
All-time high
4.96 years
in 2023
All-time low
3.04 years
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: World, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
SDG: World recorded 4.94 years for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: World peaked at 4.96 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.04 years, in 1970.
SDG: World ranks 113th 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 SDG: World, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.04 years | — |
| 1971 | 3.09 years | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 3.16 years | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 3.12 years | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 3.11 years | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 3.13 years | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 3.14 years | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 3.28 years | +4.4% |
| 1978 | 3.37 years | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 3.28 years | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 3.18 years | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 3.12 years | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 3.09 years | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 3.07 years | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 3.08 years | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 3.13 years | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 3.17 years | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 3.22 years | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 3.26 years | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 3.26 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 3.25 years | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 3.28 years | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 3.31 years | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 3.33 years | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 3.36 years | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 3.38 years | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 3.42 years | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 3.46 years | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 3.49 years | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 3.53 years | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 3.58 years | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 3.61 years | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 3.66 years | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 3.73 years | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 3.78 years | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 3.84 years | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 3.91 years | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 3.99 years | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 4.09 years | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 4.16 years | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 4.27 years | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 4.36 years | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 4.57 years | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 4.66 years | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 4.71 years | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 4.73 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 4.75 years | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 4.75 years | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 4.82 years | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 4.85 years | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 4.89 years | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 4.94 years | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 4.95 years | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 4.96 years | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 4.94 years | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.17 years | 3.04 years | 3.37 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.16 years | 3.07 years | 3.26 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.38 years | 3.25 years | 3.53 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.83 years | 3.58 years | 4.16 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.64 years | 4.27 years | 4.85 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.94 years | 4.89 years | 4.96 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: World
More education data for SDG: World
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 651.68 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 25.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 314.66 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 106.27 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 100.30 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 34.10 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.5777 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 404.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.66 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: World?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in SDG: World was 4.94 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in SDG: World?
- The highest recorded value was 4.96 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in SDG: World?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.04 years in 1970.
- How does SDG: World rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- SDG: World ranks 113th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: World 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