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UIS · School Life Expectancy
School life expectancy by country
How many years of education, from primary to tertiary, can a child expect?
Monaco placed first of the 77 countries compared in 2024, at 21.007, and Burkina Faso last, at 7.478. In the middle country the figure was 14.593.
Part ofEducation & Knowledge
School life expectancy · 2024
Context statistic
Highest of 77Monaco
21.007012024 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 77 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2Photo: tiimta · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3Photo: Joonas Lyytinen · CC BY-SA 2.5, greyscale
Lowest in 2024
- 77
Burkina Faso7.478 - 76
Pakistan8.169 - 75
Honduras8.845
Positions out of 77. Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
02Every measured country
School life expectancy on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 7.478–12.972
- 13.005–13.957
- 13.987–15.566
- 15.597–17.135
- 17.264–21.007
- No reading in 2024 (128 measured in an earlier edition)
- Oceania
16.444
the middle country, of 6 measured · 21 members
Australia20.630
Kiribati13.420Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Europe
16.114
the middle country, of 25 measured · 49 members
Monaco21.007
San Marino12.314Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Asia
13.615
the middle country, of 25 measured · 52 members
Hong Kong18.722Pakistan8.169Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Americas
13.487
the middle country, of 12 measured · 48 members
Chile17.317Honduras8.845Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Africa
12.932
the middle country, of 9 measured · 55 members
Algeria15.621Burkina Faso7.478Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Every region
19 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Northern Europe
18.111
the middle country, of 7 measured · 13 members
Finland19.632
Estonia15.597Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Western Europe
16.357
the middle country, of 6 measured · 9 members
Monaco21.007
Luxembourg14.455Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Europe
15.236
the middle country, of 7 measured · 10 members
Poland17.135
Ukraine13.987Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Southern Europe
14.895
the middle country, of 5 measured · 17 members
Spain17.738San Marino12.314Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Western Asia
14.498
the middle country, of 10 measured · 19 members
Cyprus17.605
Oman13.020Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Caribbean
13.515
the middle country, of 5 measured · 24 members
Dominican Republic13.810
British Virgin Islands12.537Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Southern Asia
13.368
the middle country, of 5 measured · 9 members
Bhutan13.615Pakistan8.169Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia20.630
New Zealand19.213Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Central America
4 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico.
Mexico14.869Honduras8.845Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Central Asia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Kazakhstan14.281
Turkmenistan12.336Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Eastern Africa
3 of 19 measured — too few for a middle: Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles.
Mauritius15.089
Seychelles12.809Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Eastern Asia
3 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea.
Hong Kong18.722
South Korea16.852Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Melanesia
1 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji.
Fiji17.264Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
2 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati, Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands14.023Kiribati13.420Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern Africa
3 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco.
Algeria15.621
Egypt13.005Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Polynesia
1 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Cook Islands.
Cook Islands15.624Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- South America
3 of 12 measured — too few for a middle: Brazil, Chile, Guyana.
Chile17.317
Guyana11.783Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- South-eastern Asia
3 of 11 measured — too few for a middle: Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand.
Thailand14.813
Malaysia12.125Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Western Africa
3 of 16 measured — too few for a middle: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana.
Côte d’Ivoire11.961Burkina Faso7.478Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
03The whole field at once
The spread
77 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 14.593; a quarter are above 16.510, and a quarter below 13.274. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 205 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. It is computed on a different age base from UNDP’s expected years of schooling, so the two differ slightly for the same country; both are the publishers’ own figures.
Showing 25 of 205 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051971–2024 · 50 editions
Over time
Each point is one year of UNESCO Institute for Statistics data. Coverage varies from year to year, so a country’s line can have gaps where it did not report.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 77 | 14.593 | 13.274 – 16.510 |
| 2023 | 105 | 15.010 | 13.059 – 16.694 |
| 2022 | 103 | 15.253 | 13.175 – 16.696 |
| 2021 | 105 | 15.247 | 12.964 – 16.586 |
| 2020 | 105 | 15.135 | 13.305 – 16.531 |
| 2019 | 109 | 14.946 | 13.198 – 16.380 |
| 2018 | 113 | 14.923 | 13.274 – 16.384 |
| 2017 | 117 | 14.747 | 13.001 – 16.320 |
| 2016 | 117 | 14.766 | 13.190 – 16.224 |
| 2015 | 124 | 14.494 | 12.474 – 16.058 |
| 2014 | 116 | 14.422 | 12.146 – 15.910 |
| 2013 | 110 | 14.281 | 12.268 – 15.949 |
| 2012 | 120 | 13.904 | 12.018 – 15.432 |
| 2011 | 124 | 13.625 | 11.791 – 15.434 |
| 2010 | 117 | 13.620 | 11.657 – 15.602 |
| 2009 | 121 | 13.416 | 11.330 – 15.516 |
| 2008 | 113 | 13.339 | 11.095 – 15.238 |
| 2007 | 111 | 13.095 | 11.483 – 15.343 |
| 2006 | 110 | 12.860 | 11.118 – 14.867 |
| 2005 | 115 | 12.623 | 10.789 – 14.892 |
| 2004 | 115 | 12.449 | 10.416 – 14.848 |
| 2003 | 109 | 12.378 | 10.466 – 14.373 |
| 2002 | 107 | 12.107 | 10.436 – 14.748 |
| 2001 | 103 | 12.033 | 9.849 – 14.511 |
| 2000 | 74 | 11.057 | 9.223 – 12.808 |
| 1999 | 70 | 10.770 | 8.206 – 12.087 |
| 1995 | 51 | 10.027 | 7.449 – 11.097 |
| 1993 | 53 | 10.040 | 7.729 – 11.397 |
| 1992 | 58 | 10.101 | 7.457 – 11.403 |
| 1991 | 63 | 10.230 | 8.100 – 11.816 |
| 1990 | 63 | 9.230 | 6.177 – 11.181 |
| 1989 | 63 | 9.343 | 5.922 – 11.238 |
| 1988 | 57 | 9.321 | 6.573 – 10.964 |
| 1987 | 65 | 9.360 | 5.799 – 11.072 |
| 1986 | 76 | 9.713 | 6.195 – 11.589 |
| 1985 | 68 | 9.339 | 6.057 – 11.181 |
| 1984 | 76 | 9.127 | 6.542 – 10.993 |
| 1983 | 64 | 9.257 | 7.099 – 10.927 |
| 1982 | 64 | 8.965 | 6.676 – 10.868 |
| 1981 | 74 | 8.974 | 6.211 – 10.955 |
| 1980 | 63 | 8.494 | 6.304 – 10.425 |
| 1979 | 61 | 7.775 | 5.110 – 9.883 |
| 1978 | 58 | 7.517 | 4.713 – 9.600 |
| 1977 | 65 | 7.394 | 4.756 – 9.817 |
| 1976 | 62 | 7.250 | 4.739 – 8.945 |
| 1975 | 57 | 7.208 | 4.662 – 8.902 |
| 1974 | 59 | 7.001 | 4.310 – 8.597 |
| 1973 | 62 | 6.821 | 4.523 – 8.482 |
| 1972 | 61 | 6.654 | 3.699 – 8.375 |
| 1971 | 71 | 6.446 | 3.592 – 8.557 |
062023 → 2024
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after
Albania14.510 → 17.300 · 59th → 14th+2.790
Macau16.633 → 17.496 · 28th → 11th+0.863- Cyprus16.805 → 17.605 · 24th → 10th+0.800
- Hong Kong17.989 → 18.722 · 14th → 5th+0.733
- Cook Islands15.060 → 15.624 · 52nd → 28th+0.563
Declined most
before → after- Kazakhstan15.788 → 14.281 · 39th → 42nd−1.507
- Seychelles13.436 → 12.809 · 74th → 64th−0.627
- Turkmenistan12.941 → 12.336 · 83rd → 66th−0.605
Cuba14.060 → 13.459 · 66th → 54th−0.602
Bulgaria15.109 → 14.593 · 50th → 39th−0.516
61 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024. The field changed from 105 to 77 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
School life expectancy in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
23.248
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary (years)
Lowest reading on record
0.596
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary (years)
Biggest improvement between editions
+3.984
6.606 → 10.590
Biggest decline between editions
−4.575
18.225 → 13.650
Most improved since first measured
+11.578
3.635 → 15.214
At the top most often
17 of 50
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08By sex
Inside the number
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) also publishes separate female and male readings. The gap between them, where both exist.
Of the 77 countries with both readings, the female reading is higher in 69, the male reading in 8. The widest gaps each way:
09The measure
About school life expectancy
School life expectancy is the number of years of education, from primary to tertiary, that a child entering school today can expect to receive at current enrolment rates. It is UNESCO’s own version of the question UNDP’s expected years of schooling answers.
What the number is: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary (years).
10Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Education & Knowledge, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where school life expectancy is higher, these tend to be higher too.
No statistic lines up this closely.
Moves against
Where school life expectancy is higher, these tend to be lower.
No statistic lines up this closely.
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 0 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
11Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
12Questions
School life expectancy: questions and answers
Which country has the highest school life expectancy?
Monaco, at 21.007, among the 77 countries compared in 2024.
Which country has the lowest school life expectancy?
Burkina Faso, at 7.478, among the 77 countries compared in 2024.
How many countries does the School Life Expectancy cover?
77 in 2024, and 205 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 51 to 124 between editions.
What is the world average school life expectancy?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 77 compared in 2024, the figure was 14.593.
Is this UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)’s own ranking?
No. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the School Life Expectancy published?
This site holds 50 editions, describing 1971 to 2024.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), under CC BY-SA 4.0. From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics data API. Years reporting fewer than 50 countries are left out. Female and male figures are stored beside the headline. Every edition is available on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, unrounded.
13Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
School Life Expectancy — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics data API. Years reporting fewer than 50 countries are left out. Female and male figures are stored beside the headline.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. UIS Data Browser. Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0, checked 2026-09-05.
How this page reads the numbers
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The full note on this data
50 editions (1971–2024), 51 to 124 countries. The number of years of education a child entering the system today can expect to receive, counting primary through tertiary. Female and male figures are stored beside the headline. ⚠ It is UIS’s own version of the same question `expected-years-schooling` answers from UNDP’s file, computed from enrolment on a different age base, so the two do not match exactly and neither is wrong. Both are here because they are the two publishers’ own numbers and this site does not silently pick one. ⚠ Editions reporting fewer than 50 countries are not written — that drops UIS’s trailing stub year, which opens with a handful of early reporters, and any thin historical year. ⚠ UIS ranks nobody, so no rank is stored; the POSITION on the statistics page is derived here by ordering the score and labelled as ours.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Monaco — Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Australia — tiimta, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Finland — Joonas Lyytinen, CC BY-SA 2.5
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). School life expectancy by country: School Life Expectancy, data from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/school-life-expectancy