Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes was 47.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1990–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 47.5%. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 47.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 25.5%, in 1990.
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 33rd of 39 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 25.5% | — |
| 1991 | 25.9% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 26.3% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 26.6% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 27.0% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 27.5% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 28.1% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 28.6% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 29.0% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 29.6% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 30.3% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 31.1% | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 31.9% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 32.7% | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 33.4% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 34.1% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 34.8% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 35.4% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 36.0% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 36.7% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 37.3% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 38.0% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 38.7% | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 39.3% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 39.8% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 40.4% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 41.0% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 41.6% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 42.4% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 43.1% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 43.8% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 44.4% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 45.1% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 45.9% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 46.7% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 47.5% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 27.4% | 25.5% | 29.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.6% | 30.3% | 36.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.2% | 37.3% | 43.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.6% | 43.8% | 47.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.40 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 40.94 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.10 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9.77 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.6 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.52 million (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 47.5% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 47.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.5% in 1990.
- How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 33rd out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Completion rate, lower secondary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release