School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World
UNICEF: World: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes was 4.94 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
4.94 years
Change on year
down 0.3%
Rank
117th
of 221 groups
All-time high
4.96 years
in 2023
All-time low
3.03 years
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2024, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World stood at 4.94 years.
The figure 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 UNICEF: World peaked at 4.96 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3.03 years, in 1970.
That places UNICEF: World 117th 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 in UNICEF: World, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.03 years | — |
| 1971 | 3.09 years | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 3.16 years | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 3.12 years | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 3.11 years | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 3.13 years | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 3.13 years | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 3.27 years | +4.4% |
| 1978 | 3.36 years | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 3.28 years | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 3.18 years | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 3.12 years | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 3.08 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 | 3.25 years | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 3.25 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 | 3.45 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 | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 4.35 years | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 4.57 years | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 4.65 years | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 4.71 years | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 4.73 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 4.75 years | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 4.75 years | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 4.81 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 | 3.03 years | 3.36 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.16 years | 3.07 years | 3.25 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 UNICEF: World
- 114 Antigua and Barbuda 5.48 years compare
- 115 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 5.47 years compare
- 116 Morocco 5.47 years compare
- 117 Cuba 5.46 years compare
- 118 Gibraltar 5.45 years compare
- 119 Peru 5.42 years compare
- 120 Sao Tome and Principe 5.38 years compare
More education data for UNICEF: World
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 89.8% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 88.7% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 314.34 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 10.2% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 336.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 206.38 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 34.04 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 404.15 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 212.93 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 199.52 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: World?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in UNICEF: 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 UNICEF: World?
- The highest recorded value was 4.96 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: World?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.03 years in 1970.
- How does UNICEF: World rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- UNICEF: World ranks 117th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: 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.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release