China vs Sub-Saharan Africa: School enrollment, tertiary

China
76.9%
in 2024
Sub-Saharan Africa
9.3%
in 2021
China rank
38th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
38th

School enrollment, tertiary over time

  • China
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
020406080197019972024

How they compare

China currently reports 76.9% against 9.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 67.6%.

That makes China's figure about 8.3 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 48 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Sub-Saharan Africa ahead.

China ranks 38th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 38th of 192 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 4 and Sub-Saharan Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Sub-Saharan Africa Difference Ahead
1970s 0.5% 1.6% 1.1% Sub-Saharan Africa
1980s 2.4% 2.6% 0.2% Sub-Saharan Africa
1990s 4.4% 3.6% 0.8% China
2000s 16.6% 5.8% 10.8% China
2010s 41.5% 8.6% 32.9% China
2020s 64.2% 9.2% 55.0% China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher school enrollment, tertiary, China or Sub-Saharan Africa?
China, at 76.9% against 9.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in school enrollment, tertiary between China and Sub-Saharan Africa?
67.6%, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Sub-Saharan Africa?
48 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2021.
How do China and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for school enrollment, tertiary?
China ranks 38th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 38th of 192 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as School enrollment, tertiary (% gross). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Sub-Saharan Africa: School enrollment, tertiary. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/school-enrollment-tertiary-percent-gross/china/sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
School enrollment, tertiary (% gross)
Unit
% gross
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
237 places, 7,325 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Tertiary education, whether or not to an advanced research qualification, normally requires, as a minimum condition of admission, the successful completion of education at the secondary level.