Theoretical duration of primary education (years) in Somalia
Somalia: Theoretical duration of primary education (years) was 4 years in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
4 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
200th
of 224 countries
All-time high
6 years
in 1970
All-time low
4 years
in 2023
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Theoretical duration of primary education in Somalia, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2025, theoretical duration of primary education in Somalia stood at 4 years. That is the lowest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, theoretical duration of primary education in Somalia peaked at 6 years in 1970 and was at its lowest, 4 years, in 2023.
That places Somalia 200th out of 224 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Theoretical duration of primary education (years) in Somalia, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6 years | — |
| 1971 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4 years | -33.3% |
| 2024 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 4 years | +0.0% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 4 years is below the median for low income countries, which is 6 years, 67% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 4 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6 years, 67% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5 years | 4 years | 6 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 200 United Arab Emirates 4 years compare
- 200 Armenia 4 years compare
- 200 Austria 4 years compare
- 200 Azerbaijan 4 years compare
- 200 Bulgaria 4 years compare
- 200 Belarus 4 years compare
- 200 Germany 4 years compare
- 200 Croatia 4 years compare
- 200 Hungary 4 years compare
- 200 Kazakhstan 4 years compare
- 200 Kyrgyzstan 4 years compare
- 200 Lithuania 4 years compare
- 200 Moldova 4 years compare
- 200 Oman 4 years compare
- 200 Poland 4 years compare
- 200 Palestine 4 years compare
- 200 Russia 4 years compare
- 200 Serbia 4 years compare
- 200 Slovakia 4 years compare
- 200 Tajikistan 4 years compare
- 200 Turkmenistan 4 years compare
- 200 Turkey 4 years compare
- 200 Ukraine 4 years compare
- 200 Uzbekistan 4 years compare
More education data for Somalia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4,504 (2007)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 676 (1986)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 882 (1986)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 115,828 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 464,607 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -7.59 % change on previous year (1986)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0253 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is theoretical duration of primary education in Somalia?
- Theoretical duration of primary education in Somalia was 4 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest theoretical duration of primary education recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.
- What is the lowest theoretical duration of primary education recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4 years in 2023.
- How does Somalia rank for theoretical duration of primary education?
- Somalia ranks 200th out of 224 countries with data for 2025.
- Is theoretical duration of primary education rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Somalia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Theoretical duration of primary education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release