School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
UNICEF: All Unicef Countries: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) was 4.76 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
4.76 years
Change on year
down 0.3%
Rank
122nd
of 221 groups
All-time high
4.78 years
in 2023
All-time low
2.48 years
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries is 4.76 years, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries peaked at 4.78 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.48 years, in 1970.
That places UNICEF: All Unicef Countries 122nd out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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 UNICEF: All Unicef Countries, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.48 years | — |
| 1971 | 2.55 years | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 2.63 years | +3.2% |
| 1973 | 2.64 years | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 2.67 years | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 2.67 years | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 2.69 years | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 2.84 years | +5.9% |
| 1978 | 2.94 years | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 2.86 years | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 2.75 years | -3.8% |
| 1981 | 2.7 years | -2.1% |
| 1982 | 2.65 years | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 2.64 years | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 2.65 years | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 2.7 years | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 2.74 years | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 2.8 years | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 2.83 years | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 2.84 years | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 2.84 years | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 2.88 years | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 2.92 years | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 2.95 years | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 2.98 years | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 3.01 years | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 3.06 years | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 3.11 years | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 3.16 years | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 3.2 years | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 3.26 years | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 3.29 years | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 3.33 years | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 3.41 years | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 3.47 years | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 3.54 years | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 3.63 years | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 3.72 years | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 3.82 years | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 3.9 years | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 4.02 years | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 4.12 years | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 4.35 years | +5.7% |
| 2013 | 4.44 years | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 4.5 years | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 4.52 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 4.53 years | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 4.54 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4.61 years | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 4.65 years | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 4.69 years | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 4.75 years | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 4.77 years | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 4.78 years | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 4.76 years | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.7 years | 2.48 years | 2.94 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.73 years | 2.64 years | 2.84 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.01 years | 2.84 years | 3.2 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.54 years | 3.26 years | 3.9 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.43 years | 4.02 years | 4.65 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.75 years | 4.69 years | 4.78 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
- 119 Peru 5.42 years compare
- 120 Sao Tome and Principe 5.38 years compare
- 121 Suriname 5.33 years compare
- 122 Montserrat 5.26 years compare
- 123 South Africa 5.26 years compare
- 124 Micronesia (country) 5.24 years compare
- 125 French Polynesia 5.23 years compare
More education data for UNICEF: All Unicef Countries
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 569.51 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.8422 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 274.67 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 29.12 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.6486 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 345.07 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 294.84 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries was 4.76 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 4.78 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.48 years in 1970.
- How does UNICEF: All Unicef Countries rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- UNICEF: All Unicef Countries ranks 122nd out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: All Unicef Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: All Unicef 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