School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa
UNICEF: West and Central Africa: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes was 3.04 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
3.04 years
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
177th
of 221 groups
All-time high
3.04 years
in 2023
All-time low
0.5691 years
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa is 3.04 years, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa peaked at 3.04 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.5691 years, in 1970.
That places UNICEF: West and Central Africa 177th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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 UNICEF: West and Central Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.5691 years | — |
| 1971 | 0.5801 years | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 0.6355 years | +9.6% |
| 1973 | 0.6677 years | +5.1% |
| 1974 | 0.6798 years | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 0.7296 years | +7.3% |
| 1976 | 0.7724 years | +5.9% |
| 1977 | 0.8248 years | +6.8% |
| 1978 | 0.9074 years | +10.0% |
| 1979 | 1 years | +10.5% |
| 1980 | 1.1 years | +9.3% |
| 1981 | 1.21 years | +10.0% |
| 1982 | 1.31 years | +8.9% |
| 1983 | 1.43 years | +8.9% |
| 1984 | 1.53 years | +7.0% |
| 1985 | 1.54 years | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 1.38 years | -10.5% |
| 1987 | 1.38 years | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 1.37 years | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 1.32 years | -4.0% |
| 1990 | 1.33 years | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 1.33 years | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.33 years | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 1.35 years | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 1.37 years | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 1.38 years | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 1.39 years | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 1.4 years | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 1.41 years | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 1.44 years | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 1.5 years | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 1.6 years | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 1.68 years | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 1.77 years | +5.9% |
| 2004 | 1.87 years | +5.4% |
| 2005 | 1.91 years | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 1.93 years | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 1.95 years | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 2.11 years | +8.3% |
| 2009 | 2.27 years | +7.3% |
| 2010 | 2.44 years | +7.6% |
| 2011 | 2.59 years | +5.9% |
| 2012 | 2.63 years | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 2.88 years | +9.6% |
| 2014 | 2.7 years | -6.4% |
| 2015 | 2.77 years | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 2.72 years | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 2.75 years | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 2.78 years | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 2.86 years | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 2.93 years | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 3 years | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 3.04 years | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 3.04 years | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.7369 years | 0.5691 years | 1 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.36 years | 1.1 years | 1.54 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.37 years | 1.33 years | 1.44 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.86 years | 1.5 years | 2.27 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.71 years | 2.44 years | 2.88 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3 years | 2.93 years | 3.04 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: West and Central Africa
More education data for UNICEF: West and Central Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.92 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.9224 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 22.91 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.5411 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 8.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.9535 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.20 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.73 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.46 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 2.11 million (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa was 3.04 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 3.04 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5691 years in 1970.
- How does UNICEF: West and Central Africa rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 177th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: West and Central Africa 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