Expected years of schooling

195 countries, 2023. Unit: years.

First in the ranking
21.7 yrs
Monaco
Median country
13.3 yrs
half above, half below
World
13.0 yrs
UNDP aggregate
Range
5.6 to 21.7
South Sudan - Monaco

How to read it

Across 195 countries worldwide, the highest value is in Monaco (21.7 yrs) and the lowest in South Sudan (5.6 yrs).

The median country is at 13.3 yrs: half are above, half below.

For the world as a whole, the value rose from 9.5 yrs in 1994 to 13.0 yrs in 2023.

Compare selected countries · on the world map

Source: UNDP, Human Development Report · licence

Expected schooling over time

yrs

Add to chart:

Ranking of countries

2023
In chart Continent Share of the highest value
1Monaco21.7Europe
2Greece20.8Europe
3Australia20.7Oceania
4Türkiye19.8Asia
5Finland19.5Europe
6New Zealand19.3Oceania
7Ireland19.2Europe
8Belgium19.0Europe
9Sweden19.0Europe
10Iceland18.9Europe
11Argentina18.8South America
12Norway18.8Europe
13Denmark18.7Europe
14Netherlands18.6Europe
15Saint Kitts and Nevis18.4North America
16Seychelles18.2Africa
17Spain17.8Europe
18United Kingdom17.8Europe
19Tonga17.8Oceania
20Portugal17.5Europe
21Uruguay17.5South America
22Slovenia17.5Europe
23Germany17.3Europe
24Saudi Arabia16.9Asia
25Chile16.9South America
26Hong Kong16.9Asia
27Czechia16.8Europe
28Georgia16.8Asia
29Singapore16.7Asia
30Italy16.7Europe
31Poland16.7Europe
32Switzerland16.7Europe
33Barbados16.6North America
34South Korea16.6Asia
35Grenada16.6North America
36Latvia16.5Europe
37Lithuania16.5Europe
38Marshall Islands16.4Oceania
39Costa Rica16.3North America
40Croatia16.3Europe
41Austria16.3Europe
42Saint Vincent and the Grenadines16.3North America
43Cyprus16.2Asia
44France16.1Europe
45Estonia16.0Europe
46Bahrain15.9Asia
47United States15.9North America
48Malta15.9Europe
49Kuwait15.9Asia
50Canada15.9North America
51Brazil15.8South America
52Bolivia15.6South America
53United Arab Emirates15.6Asia
54Montenegro15.5Europe
55Japan15.5Asia
56Antigua and Barbuda15.5North America
57Algeria15.5Africa
58China15.5Asia
59Hungary15.5Europe
60Vietnam15.5Asia
61Liechtenstein15.4Europe
62Thailand15.4Asia
63Bulgaria15.3Europe
64Eswatini15.2Africa
65Morocco15.1Africa
66Serbia15.0Europe
67Slovakia14.9Europe
68Israel14.9Asia
69Peru14.9South America
70Ecuador14.9South America
71North Macedonia14.8Europe
72Tunisia14.7Africa
73Moldova14.6Europe
74San Marino14.6Europe
75Andorra14.5Europe
76Albania14.5Europe
77Mexico14.5North America
78Armenia14.4Asia
79Luxembourg14.4Europe
80Colombia14.3South America
81Trinidad and Tobago14.2North America
82Mauritius14.2Africa
83Dominica14.2North America
84Palau14.1Oceania
85Romania14.1Europe
86Kazakhstan14.0Asia
87Paraguay14.0South America
88Iran14.0Asia
89Cuba13.9North America
90Fiji13.8Oceania
91South Africa13.8Africa
92Nepal13.8Asia
93Belarus13.7Europe
94Brunei13.7Asia
95Mongolia13.6Asia
96Dominican Republic13.6North America
97Oman13.4Asia
98Indonesia13.3Asia
99Ukraine13.3Europe
100Panama13.3North America
101Comoros13.3Africa
102Timor-Leste13.3Asia
103Turkmenistan13.2Asia
104Russia13.2Europe
105Bosnia and Herzegovina13.2Europe
106Bhutan13.2Asia
107Qatar13.1Asia
108Sri Lanka13.1Asia
109Egypt13.1Africa
110Jordan13.1Asia
111Togo13.1Africa
112Guyana13.0South America
113Palestine13.0Asia
114Venezuela13.0South America
115India13.0Asia
116Libya12.9Africa
117Azerbaijan12.9Asia
118São Tomé and Principe12.9Africa
119Nauru12.8Oceania
120Philippines12.8Asia
121Maldives12.8Asia
122Saint Lucia12.7North America
123Kyrgyzstan12.7Asia
124Republic of the Congo12.7Africa
125Malaysia12.7Asia
126Rwanda12.6Africa
127Equatorial Guinea12.5Africa
128Gabon12.5Africa
129Uzbekistan12.5Asia
130Samoa12.4Oceania
131Jamaica12.4North America
132Tuvalu12.4Oceania
133Iraq12.4Asia
134Bangladesh12.3Asia
135North Korea12.2Asia
136Angola12.2Africa
137Belize12.0North America
138Bahamas11.9North America
139Kiribati11.9Oceania
140Vanuatu11.8Oceania
141Namibia11.8Africa
142Lebanon11.7Asia
143Uganda11.6Africa
144Federated States of Micronesia11.5Oceania
145Papua New Guinea11.5Oceania
146Nicaragua11.5North America
147Myanmar11.5Asia
148Kenya11.5Africa
149Botswana11.4Africa
150Ghana11.4Africa
151Côte d'Ivoire11.4Africa
152Cabo Verde11.4Africa
153Solomon Islands11.3Oceania
154Cambodia11.2Asia
155El Salvador11.1North America
156Zimbabwe11.1Africa
157Zambia11.0Africa
158Lesotho11.0Africa
159Suriname11.0South America
160Democratic Republic of the Congo10.9Africa
161Haiti10.9North America
162Tajikistan10.8Asia
163Mozambique10.8Africa
164Cameroon10.8Africa
165Afghanistan10.8Asia
166Guatemala10.7North America
167Guinea-Bissau10.6Africa
168Nigeria10.5Africa
169Liberia10.5Africa
170Benin10.4Africa
171Guinea10.4Africa
172Honduras10.2North America
173Malawi9.9Africa
174Burundi9.8Africa
175Laos9.6Asia
176Ethiopia9.2Africa
177Senegal9.1Africa
178Sierra Leone9.1Africa
179Madagascar9.1Africa
180The Gambia9.0Africa
181Burkina Faso8.7Africa
182Sudan8.6Africa
183Tanzania8.6Africa
184Chad8.3Africa
185Niger8.3Africa
186Mauritania7.9Africa
187Pakistan7.9Asia
188Yemen7.5Asia
189Somalia7.5Africa
190Central African Republic7.4Africa
191Syria7.4Asia
192Eritrea7.3Africa
193Mali7.0Africa
194Djibouti6.2Africa
195South Sudan5.6Africa
UNDP HDR · 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO Source and licence

Biggest changes, 2013-2023

% change · 194 countries

Largest increase

  1. Niger 5.5 → 8.3 +52%
  2. United Arab Emirates 10.6 → 15.6 +47%
  3. Côte d'Ivoire 8.2 → 11.4 +40%
  4. Papua New Guinea 8.8 → 11.5 +31%
  5. Rwanda 9.7 → 12.6 +30%

Largest decrease

  1. Benin 12.1 → 10.4 −14%
  2. Belarus 15.6 → 13.7 −12%
  3. Syria 8.4 → 7.4 −12%
  4. Laos 10.8 → 9.6 −11%
  5. Cabo Verde 12.7 → 11.4 −11%

Continents over time

median country of each continent

Expected schooling - continent medians

yrs

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Oceania

5 8 10 13 15 18 1990 Africa: 5.83 Asia: 10.13 Europe: 12.66 North America: 10.88 South America: 11.22 Oceania: 11.52 1991 Africa: 6.02 Asia: 9.96 Europe: 12.53 North America: 10.83 South America: 11.28 Oceania: 11.61 1992 Africa: 6.29 Asia: 9.97 Europe: 12.62 North America: 10.9 South America: 11.4 Oceania: 11.68 1993 Africa: 6.41 Asia: 10.07 Europe: 12.82 North America: 10.97 South America: 11.46 Oceania: 11.7 1994 Africa: 6.59 Asia: 10.06 Europe: 13.08 North America: 10.98 South America: 11.6 Oceania: 11.73 1995 Africa: 6.55 Asia: 10.25 Europe: 13.1 North America: 11.19 South America: 11.85 Oceania: 11.76 1996 Africa: 6.63 Asia: 10.3 Europe: 13.35 North America: 11.37 South America: 11.92 Oceania: 11.79 1997 Africa: 6.74 Asia: 10.52 Europe: 13.56 North America: 11.41 South America: 11.97 Oceania: 11.81 1998 Africa: 7.29 Asia: 10.76 Europe: 13.97 North America: 11.52 South America: 12.36 Oceania: 11.84 1999 Africa: 7.41 Asia: 10.95 Europe: 14.35 North America: 11.7 South America: 12.75 Oceania: 11.9 2000 Africa: 7.62 Asia: 11.1 Europe: 14.89 North America: 11.93 South America: 12.75 Oceania: 11.3 2001 Africa: 8.03 Asia: 11.53 Europe: 15.07 North America: 12.04 South America: 13.07 Oceania: 11.33 2002 Africa: 8.14 Asia: 11.55 Europe: 15.06 North America: 12.31 South America: 13.04 Oceania: 11.16 2003 Africa: 8.37 Asia: 11.58 Europe: 15.44 North America: 12.5 South America: 12.83 Oceania: 11.4 2004 Africa: 8.58 Asia: 11.72 Europe: 15.18 North America: 12.56 South America: 13.03 Oceania: 11.64 2005 Africa: 8.76 Asia: 11.84 Europe: 15.37 North America: 12.65 South America: 13.33 Oceania: 11.45 2006 Africa: 9.13 Asia: 11.89 Europe: 15.4 North America: 12.91 South America: 13.58 Oceania: 11.48 2007 Africa: 9.34 Asia: 12.16 Europe: 15.45 North America: 12.99 South America: 13.79 Oceania: 11.52 2008 Africa: 9.82 Asia: 12.23 Europe: 15.47 North America: 13.19 South America: 14.03 Oceania: 11.59 2009 Africa: 10 Asia: 12.43 Europe: 15.66 North America: 13.42 South America: 14.28 Oceania: 11.65 2010 Africa: 10.19 Asia: 12.56 Europe: 15.81 North America: 13.25 South America: 14.34 Oceania: 11.74 2011 Africa: 10.4 Asia: 12.56 Europe: 15.7 North America: 13.46 South America: 14.47 Oceania: 11.82 2012 Africa: 10.61 Asia: 12.87 Europe: 15.7 North America: 13.69 South America: 14.39 Oceania: 11.91 2013 Africa: 10.71 Asia: 12.9 Europe: 16.02 North America: 13.72 South America: 14.55 Oceania: 12 2014 Africa: 10.84 Asia: 13.08 Europe: 16.02 North America: 13.78 South America: 14.55 Oceania: 12.09 2015 Africa: 10.94 Asia: 13.13 Europe: 16.03 North America: 13.86 South America: 14.62 Oceania: 12.18 2016 Africa: 11.01 Asia: 13.19 Europe: 15.95 North America: 14.15 South America: 14.78 Oceania: 12.27 2017 Africa: 10.99 Asia: 13.28 Europe: 15.94 North America: 14.07 South America: 14.62 Oceania: 12.35 2018 Africa: 10.96 Asia: 13.22 Europe: 15.97 North America: 14.15 South America: 14.61 Oceania: 12.44 2019 Africa: 10.99 Asia: 13.23 Europe: 16.03 North America: 14.15 South America: 14.61 Oceania: 12.51 2020 Africa: 10.97 Asia: 13.24 Europe: 16.11 North America: 14.15 South America: 14.71 Oceania: 12.59 2021 Africa: 10.91 Asia: 13.15 Europe: 16.28 North America: 14.15 South America: 14.82 Oceania: 12.64 2022 Africa: 10.88 Asia: 13.15 Europe: 16.35 North America: 14.15 South America: 14.88 Oceania: 12.64 2023 Africa: 10.95 Asia: 13.24 Europe: 16.35 North America: 13.88 South America: 14.88 Oceania: 12.64 1990 2000 2005 2010 2015 2023

By continent

median country
Africa 10.9 yrs
Asia 13.2 yrs
Europe 16.3 yrs
North America 13.9 yrs
South America 14.9 yrs
Oceania 12.6 yrs

Tick a country in the table to add it to the chart above, up to six at a time. The ranking uses the latest year for which at least half of the countries have a value; countries without a value that year are not listed.