The Turkish Statistical Institute announced on Monday that the national school life expectancy (SLE) in 2023 was 17.9 years, marking a 1.3% decrease compared to the previous year.

This figure represents the expected number of years a person entering primary school will spend in education until the highest level of schooling.

According to the institute, SLE for a person from primary school entry age until the completion of upper secondary education was 12.3 years, while it was 1.6 years for pre-primary education.

Faster Decline for Men, Increase for Women

The data shows that the decline in school life expectancy has been more pronounced among men than women since 2021. In 2023, men’s SLE dropped to 17.6 years, a 2.8% decrease compared to 2022. In contrast, women’s SLE increased slightly by 0.3%, reaching 18.4 years.

Istanbul Leads in School Life Expectancy

On a provincial level, Istanbul recorded the highest school life expectancy at 20.3 years. The city was followed by Karabük (19.7 years), Ankara (19.6 years), Rize, and Erzincan (both at 19.1 years).

At the other end of the spectrum, the provinces with the lowest SLE were Muş and Şırnak (14.9 years), Ağrı and Şanlıurfa (15.1 years), and Mardin (15.8 years).

Gümüşhane Sees Biggest Rise in SLE Over Five Years

Between 2019 and 2023, Gümüşhane experienced the largest increase in school life expectancy, with an 8.3% rise. Other provinces showing significant growth in SLE include Hakkari (4.6%), Van (2.5%), Diyarbakır (2.1%), and Ağrı (1.7%).

Conversely, provinces that witnessed the greatest decline in SLE during the same period include Eskişehir (10.4%), Çankırı (10.3%), Yalova (10.0%), Antalya (9.6%), and Muğla (8.6%).

Gender Parity Index Favors Women

The gender parity index (GPI), which compares female to male SLE, continued to increase in favor of women in 2023, reaching 1.05. This figure represents a significant rise from 0.97 in 2018. The highest GPI values were recorded in Tunceli and Iğdır (both 1.12), followed by Çanakkale (1.10), Bartın, and Çankırı (both 1.09).

In contrast, the lowest GPI figures were reported in Bitlis, Şanlıurfa, and Siirt (all 0.95), Muş (0.96), and Batman (0.98).

SLE Breakdown by Gender

In 2023, the national SLE for women stood at 18.4 years, while for men it was 17.6 years. Istanbul had the highest SLE for both genders, followed by Karabük, Ankara, Erzincan, and Bayburt for men, and Karabük, Tunceli, Ankara, and Rize for women.

Provinces with the lowest SLE for men were Ağrı, Şırnak, Muş, Şanlıurfa, and Mardin, while for women, the lowest SLE was observed in Muş, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Ağrı, and Bitlis. (ILKHA)