School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes was 0.4547 years in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
0.4547 years
Change on year
up 1.2%
Rank
204th
of 221 groups
All-time high
0.4547 years
in 2021
All-time low
0.0472 years
in 1970
Years of data
52
1970–2021
School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa is 0.4547 years, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 17.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 0.4547 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.0472 years, in 1970.
That places SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 204th out of 221 groups with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.0472 years | — |
| 1971 | 0.048 years | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 0.0503 years | +4.7% |
| 1973 | 0.0529 years | +5.0% |
| 1974 | 0.057 years | +7.9% |
| 1975 | 0.0603 years | +5.8% |
| 1976 | 0.0637 years | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 0.0684 years | +7.4% |
| 1978 | 0.0746 years | +9.1% |
| 1979 | 0.0823 years | +10.3% |
| 1980 | 0.0879 years | +6.9% |
| 1981 | 0.0958 years | +8.9% |
| 1982 | 0.1026 years | +7.1% |
| 1983 | 0.1058 years | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 0.1095 years | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 0.1161 years | +6.0% |
| 1986 | 0.1217 years | +4.9% |
| 1987 | 0.1245 years | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 0.1321 years | +6.2% |
| 1989 | 0.1399 years | +5.9% |
| 1990 | 0.1422 years | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 0.1472 years | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 0.1524 years | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 0.1616 years | +6.1% |
| 1994 | 0.1685 years | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 0.1735 years | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 0.1806 years | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 0.1861 years | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 0.1906 years | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 0.1954 years | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 0.2154 years | +10.2% |
| 2001 | 0.2305 years | +7.0% |
| 2002 | 0.2452 years | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 0.2664 years | +8.6% |
| 2004 | 0.274 years | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 0.2832 years | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 0.2885 years | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 0.3015 years | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 0.3182 years | +5.6% |
| 2009 | 0.3419 years | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 0.3683 years | +7.7% |
| 2011 | 0.3877 years | +5.3% |
| 2012 | 0.407 years | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 0.4172 years | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 0.4279 years | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 0.434 years | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 0.4309 years | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 0.4377 years | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 0.4424 years | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.4445 years | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 0.4493 years | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 0.4547 years | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0605 years | 0.0472 years | 0.0823 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1136 years | 0.0879 years | 0.1399 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1698 years | 0.1422 years | 0.1954 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2765 years | 0.2154 years | 0.3419 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4198 years | 0.3683 years | 0.4445 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.452 years | 0.4493 years | 0.4547 years | 2 |
More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.8778 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9.77 million (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.10 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 40.94 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.94 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.60 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 0.4547 years in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4547 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0472 years in 1970.
- How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes?
- SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 204th out of 221 groups with data for 2021.
- Is school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this SDG: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release