Social indicators

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Indicators on education
Last update: December 2008
Country or area
Year
Total
Men
Women
Afghanistan                               2004   b
8
11
4
  
Albania                                   2004   b
11
11
11
  
Algeria                                   2005   b
13
13
13
  
Andorra                                   2006   a
11
11
11
  
Anguilla                                  2006   b
11
11
11
  
Argentina                                 2005
15
14
16
  
Armenia                                   2006
11
11
12
  
Aruba                                     2007
14
13
14
  
Australia                                 2006
21
20
21
  
Austria                                   2006
15
15
16
  
Azerbaijan                                2006   b
11
11
11
  
Bahrain 2006   b
15
14
16
  
Bangladesh                                2004
8
8
8
  
Barbados                                  2007   b
15
14
16
  
Belarus                                   2007
15
14
15
  
Belgium                                   2006
16
16
16
  
Belize                                    2004   b
13
13
13
  
Benin                                     2001   b
7
9
6
  
Bermuda                                   2005   b
13
13
14
  
Bhutan                                    2006   b
10
11
10
  
Bolivia                                   2003   b
14
…
…
  
Botswana                                  2005   b
12
12
12
  
Brazil                                    2005
14
14
15
  
British Virgin Islands                    2005   b
17
15
19
  
Brunei Darussalam                         2007   b
14
14
14
  
Bulgaria                                  2006
13
13
14
  
Burkina Faso 2007
5
6
5
  
Burundi                                   2006   b
7
8
7
  
Cambodia                                  2007   b
10
11
9
  
Cameroon                                  2006   b
9
10
8
  
Canada                                    2004   b
17
17
17
  
Cape Verde                                2007   b
11
11
12
  
Cayman Islands                          2001   b
13
12
13
  
Chad                                      2005   b
6
7
4
  
Chile                                     2006   b
14
14
14
  
China                                     2006   b
11
11
11
  
China, Hong Kong SAR                 2005
14
14
14
  
China, Macao SAR                            2007
15
16
15
  
Colombia                                  2007   b
13
12
13
  
Comoros                                   2004   b
8
9
7
  
Congo                                     2003   b
9
10
8
  
Cook Islands                              2005   b
10
10
10
  
Costa Rica                                2005   b
12
12
12
  
Cote d'Ivoire 1999   b
6
7
5
  
Croatia                                   2006
14
13
14
  
Cuba                                      2007   b
17
16
19
  
Cyprus                                    2006   a
14
13
14
  
Czech Republic                            2006
15
15
15
  
Democratic Republic of the Congo 1999   b
4
…
…
  
Denmark                                   2006
17
16
17
  
Djibouti                                  2006   b
4
5
4
  
Dominica                                  2005   b
13
13
14
  
Dominican Republic                        2004   b
12
12
13
  
Egypt                                     2004   b
12
…
…
  
El Salvador                               2006
12
12
12
  
Equatorial Guinea                         2000   b
10
10
9
  
Eritrea                                   2004   b
5
6
4
  
Estonia 2006
16
15
17
  
Ethiopia                                  2007   b
8
8
7
  
Fiji                                      2005   b
13
13
13
  
Finland                                   2006
17
17
18
  
France                                    2006   b
16
16
17
  
Gabon 1999   b
13
14
13
  
Gambia                                    2004   b
7
7
7
  
Georgia                                   2007
13
13
13
  
Ghana                                     2007   b
9
10
9
  
Greece                                    2006   b
17
17
17
  
Grenada                                   2005   b
12
12
12
  
Guatemala                                 2006   b
10
11
10
  
Guinea                                    2006
8
10
7
  
Guinea-Bissau                             2001   b
5
7
4
  
Guyana 2006   b
13
13
13
  
Honduras                                  2004   b
11
11
12
  
Hungary                                   2006
15
15
16
  
Iceland                                   2006
18
17
19
  
India                                     2006   b
10
11
9
  
Indonesia                                 2006   b
12
12
11
  
Iran, Islamic Republic of                 2007   b
13
12
13
  
Iraq                                      2005   b
10
11
8
  
Ireland                                   2006   b
18
17
18
  
Israel                                    2006
15
15
16
  
Italy                                     2006
16
16
17
  
Jamaica                                   2003   b
12
11
12
  
Japan                                     2006   b
15
15
15
  
Jordan 2006   b
13
13
13
  
Kazakhstan                                2008
15
15
16
  
Kenya                                     2004   b
10
10
9
  
Kiribati                                  2005   a
12
12
13
  
Kuwait                                    2006   b
13
12
13
  
Kyrgyzstan                                2007
13
12
13
  
Lao People's Democratic Republic   2006   b
9
10
8
  
Latvia                                    2006
16
14
17
  
Lebanon                                   2007   b
13
13
14
  
Lesotho                                   2006
10
10
10
  
Liberia                                   2000   b
10
11
8
  
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya                 2003   b
17
16
17
  
Liechtenstein                             2004   a
15
16
13
  
Lithuania                                 2006
16
15
17
  
Luxembourg                                2006
14
13
14
  
Madagascar 2007
9
10
9
  
Malawi                                    2007   b
9
9
9
  
Malaysia                                  2005
13
12
13
  
Maldives                                  2006   b
12
12
12
  
Mali                                      2005   b
7
8
5
  
Malta                                     2005
15
15
15
  
Marshall Islands                          2003   b
13
13
13
  
Mauritania                                2006   b
8
8
8
  
Mauritius                                 2005   b
14
14
13
  
Mexico                                    2006
13
14
13
  
Mongolia                                  2007   b
13
12
14
  
Montserrat                                2006   a
16
15
16
  
Morocco                                   2005   b
10
11
9
  
Mozambique 2005   b
8
9
7
  
Myanmar                                   2001   b
8
8
8
  
Namibia                                   2006   b
11
11
11
  
Nauru                                     2006   a
8
8
9
  
Nepal                                     2003
9
10
8
  
Netherlands                               2006
16
17
16
  
Netherlands Antilles                      2002
14
14
15
  
New Zealand                               2006
20
19
20
  
Nicaragua                                 2003   b
11
11
11
  
Niger                                     2006   b
4
5
3
  
Nigeria                                   2004   b
8
9
7
  
Niue                                      2005   a
12
12
12
  
Norway                                    2006
18
17
18
  
Occupied Palestinian Territory 2007
13
13
14
  
Oman                                      2007   b
12
11
12
  
Pakistan                                  2007   b
7
8
6
  
Palau                                     2000   b
15
14
15
  
Panama                                    2006   b
13
13
14
  
Paraguay                                  2005   b
12
12
12
  
Peru                                      2006   b
14
14
14
  
Philippines                               2006   b
12
11
12
  
Poland                                    2006
15
15
16
  
Portugal                                  2006
15
15
16
  
Qatar                                     2007   b
14
13
14
  
Republic of Korea                         2006
17
18
15
  
Republic of Moldova                       2007   b
12
11
12
  
Romania                                   2006
14
14
14
  
Russian Federation                        2006   b
14
13
14
  
Rwanda                                    2005   b
9
8
9
  
Saint Kitts and Nevis                   2005   b
12
12
13
  
Saint Lucia                               2006   b
14
13
14
  
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2005   a
12
12
12
  
Samoa                                     2001   b
12
12
13
  
Sao Tome and Principe                 2008
10
10
10
  
Senegal                                   2005   b
7
…
…
  
Seychelles                                2005   a
13
13
14
  
Sierra Leone                              2001
7
8
6
  
Slovakia                                  2006   b
15
14
15
  
Slovenia                                  2006   b
17
16
17
  
Solomon Islands                           2005
8
9
8
  
South Africa                              2005   b
13
13
13
  
Spain                                     2006
16
16
17
  
Sudan                                     2000   b
5
…
…
  
Suriname                                  2002   b
12
11
13
  
Swaziland                                 2005   b
10
10
10
  
Sweden                                    2006
16
15
17
  
Switzerland                               2006
15
15
15
  
Tajikistan                                2007   b
11
12
10
  
Thailand                                  2007   b
14
13
14
  
The Former Yugoslav Rep. of Mace 2005
12
12
12
  
Timor-Leste                               2002   b
11
…
…
  
Togo                                      2000   b
9
11
7
  
Tokelau                                   2004   b
11
10
11
  
Tonga                                     2004   b
13
13
13
  
Trinidad and Tobago                    2005   b
11
11
11
  
Tunisia                                   2006   b
14
14
14
  
Turkey 2006   b
11
12
11
  
Turks and Caicos Islands              2005
11
11
12
  
Tuvalu                                    2001   a
11
11
11
  
Uganda                                    2004   b
10
11
10
  
Ukraine                                   2007
15
14
15
  
United Arab Emirates                   2007   b
13
12
13
  
United Kingdom                            2006
16
16
17
  
United Republic of Tanzania 1999   b
5
5
5
  
United States                             2006   b
16
15
16
  
Uruguay                                   2006
15
14
16
  
Uzbekistan                                2007   b
11
12
11
  
Vanuatu                                   2004   b
10
11
10
  
Venezuela                                 2003   b
12
11
12
  
Viet Nam                                  2001   b
10
11
10
  
Yemen                                     2005   b
9
11
7
  
Zambia 2000   b
7
7
7
  
Zimbabwe                                  2003   b
9
9
9
  

 

Sources:

UNESCO Institute for Statistics, table 8: School life expectancy (approximation method). Data on school life expectancy (years) from primary to tertiary by country and sex, available from UIS website, http://www.uis.unesco.org (accessed December 2008).

Footnotes:

...
 Data not available.
a
 National estimation.
b
 UIS estimation.

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Technical notes:

The expected number of years of schooling, or school life expectancy (SLE), is defined as the total number of years of schooling which a child can expect to receive, assuming that the probability of his or her being enrolled in school at any particular future age is equal to the current enrolment ratio at that age. It is a synthetic summary indicator of the overall pattern of enrolment ratios at one particular point in time, and has no predictive value except in so far as it is believed that enrolment patterns will remain unchanged into the future.

Caution should be exercised when utilizing this indicator in international comparisons. For example, a year or grade completed in one country is not necessarily the same in terms of educational content or quality as a year or grade completed in another country. Moreover, it should be noted that SLE does not necessarily coincide with the expected number of grades completed because of the possibility of repeating grades. Thus, school life expectancy represents the expected number of years of schooling that will be completed, including years spent repeating one or more grades.