Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years) was 4 years in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
4 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
6th
of 221 countries
All-time high
4 years
in 2013
All-time low
2 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Theoretical duration of upper secondary education in Sierra Leone, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 4 years for theoretical duration of upper secondary education in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, theoretical duration of upper secondary education in Sierra Leone peaked at 4 years in 2013 and was at its lowest, 2 years, in 1970.
Sierra Leone ranks 6th of 221 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2 years | — |
| 1971 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1995 | 2 years | -33.3% |
| 1996 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 2 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1999 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 2014 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 4 years | +0.0% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 4 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 3 years, 1.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 4 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3 years, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3 years | 2 years | 3 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.7 years | 3 years | 4 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 6 United Arab Emirates 4 years compare
- 6 Austria 4 years compare
- 6 Burundi 4 years compare
- 6 Belgium 4 years compare
- 6 Bangladesh 4 years compare
- 6 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 years compare
- 6 Bermuda 4 years compare
- 6 Bolivia 4 years compare
- 6 Switzerland 4 years compare
- 6 Chile 4 years compare
- 6 Democratic Republic of Congo 4 years compare
- 6 Czechia 4 years compare
- 6 Eritrea 4 years compare
- 6 Micronesia (country) 4 years compare
- 6 United Kingdom 4 years compare
- 6 Gibraltar 4 years compare
- 6 Croatia 4 years compare
- 6 Haiti 4 years compare
- 6 Hungary 4 years compare
- 6 India 4 years compare
- 6 Iceland 4 years compare
- 6 Kenya 4 years compare
- 6 Kiribati 4 years compare
- 6 Sri Lanka 4 years compare
- 6 Luxembourg 4 years compare
- 6 Marshall Islands 4 years compare
- 6 North Macedonia 4 years compare
- 6 Malta 4 years compare
- 6 Montenegro 4 years compare
- 6 Mauritius 4 years compare
- 6 Nepal 4 years compare
- 6 Pakistan 4 years compare
- 6 Palau 4 years compare
- 6 Poland 4 years compare
- 6 Romania 4 years compare
- 6 Solomon Islands 4 years compare
- 6 Somalia 4 years compare
- 6 Serbia 4 years compare
- 6 South Sudan 4 years compare
- 6 Slovakia 4 years compare
- 6 Slovenia 4 years compare
- 6 Seychelles 4 years compare
- 6 Tunisia 4 years compare
- 6 Turkey 4 years compare
- 6 Zimbabwe 4 years compare
More education data for Sierra Leone
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 38,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 73,295 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,708 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 92,723 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2393 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is theoretical duration of upper secondary education in Sierra Leone?
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education in Sierra Leone was 4 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest theoretical duration of upper secondary education recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 4 years in 2013.
- What is the lowest theoretical duration of upper secondary education recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 2 years in 1970.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for theoretical duration of upper secondary education?
- Sierra Leone ranks 6th out of 221 countries with data for 2025.
- Is theoretical duration of upper secondary education rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release