Completion rate, primary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Completion rate, primary education, both sexes was 68.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Completion rate, primary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1990–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 68.3% for completion rate, primary education, both sexes in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, primary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 68.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 42.2%, in 1990.
That places SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 34th out of 39 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Completion rate, primary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 42.2% | — |
| 1991 | 42.5% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 42.7% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 42.9% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 43.2% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 43.6% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 44.0% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 44.5% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 45.0% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 45.6% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 46.3% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 47.0% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 47.6% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 48.4% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 49.2% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 50.2% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 51.2% | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 52.2% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 53.1% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 54.1% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 55.0% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 55.9% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 56.8% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 57.7% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 58.5% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 59.3% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 60.2% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 61.0% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 61.9% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 62.8% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 63.7% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 64.7% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 65.7% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 66.6% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 67.5% | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 68.3% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 43.6% | 42.2% | 45.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.9% | 46.3% | 54.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.9% | 55.0% | 62.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.1% | 63.7% | 68.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (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, male (number), gaps 5.52 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.52 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is completion rate, primary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Completion rate, primary education, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 68.3% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, primary education, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 68.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest completion rate, primary education, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.2% in 1990.
- How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for completion rate, primary education, both sexes?
- SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 34th out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is completion rate, primary education, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.2%. 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, primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release