School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa: School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes was 0.4554 years in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
0.4554 years
Change on year
up 1.2%
Rank
200th
of 221 groups
All-time high
0.4554 years
in 2021
All-time low
0.0473 years
in 1970
Years of data
52
1970–2021
School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2021, school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 0.4554 years. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
The figure is 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 UIS: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 0.4554 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.0473 years, in 1970.
That places UIS: Sub-saharan Africa 200th 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 UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.0473 years | — |
| 1971 | 0.0481 years | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 0.0504 years | +4.8% |
| 1973 | 0.053 years | +5.1% |
| 1974 | 0.0572 years | +7.9% |
| 1975 | 0.0605 years | +5.8% |
| 1976 | 0.0639 years | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 0.0686 years | +7.4% |
| 1978 | 0.0749 years | +9.1% |
| 1979 | 0.0825 years | +10.2% |
| 1980 | 0.0882 years | +6.9% |
| 1981 | 0.096 years | +8.9% |
| 1982 | 0.1028 years | +7.0% |
| 1983 | 0.106 years | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 0.1098 years | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 0.1163 years | +5.9% |
| 1986 | 0.1218 years | +4.7% |
| 1987 | 0.1245 years | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 0.1322 years | +6.2% |
| 1989 | 0.14 years | +5.9% |
| 1990 | 0.1423 years | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 0.1474 years | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 0.1526 years | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 0.1618 years | +6.0% |
| 1994 | 0.1686 years | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 0.1737 years | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 0.1808 years | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 0.1862 years | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 0.1908 years | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 0.1956 years | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 0.2157 years | +10.3% |
| 2001 | 0.2309 years | +7.1% |
| 2002 | 0.2458 years | +6.5% |
| 2003 | 0.267 years | +8.6% |
| 2004 | 0.2747 years | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 0.2838 years | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 0.289 years | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 0.302 years | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 0.3186 years | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 0.3424 years | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 0.3691 years | +7.8% |
| 2011 | 0.3881 years | +5.2% |
| 2012 | 0.4074 years | +5.0% |
| 2013 | 0.4175 years | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 0.4283 years | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 0.4345 years | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 0.4315 years | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 0.4384 years | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 0.4431 years | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.4452 years | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 0.4499 years | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 0.4554 years | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0607 years | 0.0473 years | 0.0825 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1138 years | 0.0882 years | 0.14 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.17 years | 0.1423 years | 0.1956 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.277 years | 0.2157 years | 0.3424 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4203 years | 0.3691 years | 0.4452 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4527 years | 0.4499 years | 0.4554 years | 2 |
More education data for UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 40.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.04 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9.73 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.53 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.6 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.50 million (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa was 0.4554 years in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4554 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0473 years in 1970.
- How does UIS: Sub-saharan Africa rank for school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes?
- UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 200th out of 221 groups with data for 2021.
- Is school life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in UIS: 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 UIS: 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