Enrolment in pre-primary education, female in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Enrolment in pre-primary education, female was 12.63 million number in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
12.63 million number
Change on year
up 2.3%
Rank
19th
of 43 groups
All-time high
12.63 million number
in 2019
All-time low
2.56 million number
in 1983
Years of data
37
1983–2019

Enrolment in pre-primary education, female in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1983–2019

2.5M5.0M7.5M10.0M12.5M1983200120191983: 2.6M number1984: 2.6M number1985: 2.7M number1986: 2.8M number1987: 3.0M number1988: 3.1M number1989: 3.2M number1990: 3.3M number1991: 3.3M number1992: 3.4M number1993: 3.5M number1994: 3.6M number1995: 3.6M number1996: 3.8M number1997: 3.7M number1998: 4.0M number1999: 3.3M number2000: 3.7M number2001: 3.9M number2002: 4.3M number2003: 4.9M number2004: 5.5M number2005: 5.8M number2006: 6.5M number2007: 6.0M number2008: 6.1M number2009: 6.6M number2010: 6.9M number2011: 7.7M number2012: 9.0M number2013: 10.2M number2014: 8.5M number2015: 9.3M number2016: 11.9M number2017: 12.2M number2018: 12.3M number2019: 12.6M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in pre-primary education, female in Sub-Saharan Africa is 12.63 million number, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.3% on the previous year and up 91.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in pre-primary education, female in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 12.63 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2.56 million number, in 1983.

Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 19th of 43 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Enrolment in pre-primary education, female in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1983 to 2019.
Year number Change
1983 2.56 million number
1984 2.62 million number +2.2%
1985 2.67 million number +2.2%
1986 2.77 million number +3.7%
1987 2.97 million number +7.0%
1988 3.10 million number +4.4%
1989 3.20 million number +3.4%
1990 3.29 million number +2.6%
1991 3.34 million number +1.4%
1992 3.43 million number +2.9%
1993 3.48 million number +1.5%
1994 3.55 million number +2.0%
1995 3.63 million number +2.2%
1996 3.78 million number +4.0%
1997 3.65 million number -3.3%
1998 4.02 million number +10.1%
1999 3.31 million number -17.7%
2000 3.69 million number +11.5%
2001 3.92 million number +6.1%
2002 4.28 million number +9.3%
2003 4.89 million number +14.2%
2004 5.46 million number +11.6%
2005 5.84 million number +7.0%
2006 6.47 million number +10.9%
2007 6.02 million number -6.9%
2008 6.08 million number +0.9%
2009 6.60 million number +8.6%
2010 6.94 million number +5.2%
2011 7.75 million number +11.6%
2012 9.03 million number +16.6%
2013 10.21 million number +13.1%
2014 8.50 million number -16.8%
2015 9.30 million number +9.5%
2016 11.86 million number +27.5%
2017 12.17 million number +2.6%
2018 12.34 million number +1.4%
2019 12.63 million number +2.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2.84 million number 2.56 million number 3.20 million number 7
1990s 3.55 million number 3.29 million number 4.02 million number 10
2000s 5.32 million number 3.69 million number 6.60 million number 10
2010s 10.07 million number 6.94 million number 12.63 million number 10

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa

  1. 16 Philippines 1.09 million number compare
  2. 17 Nigeria 981,192 number compare
  3. 18 Ghana 913,460 number compare
  4. 19 Thailand 868,018 number compare
  5. 20 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 860,911 number compare
  6. 21 Colombia 850,474 number compare
  7. 22 Argentina 837,660 number compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in pre-primary education, female in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Enrolment in pre-primary education, female in Sub-Saharan Africa was 12.63 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in pre-primary education, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 12.63 million number in 2019.
What is the lowest enrolment in pre-primary education, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2.56 million number in 1983.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for enrolment in pre-primary education, female?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 19th out of 43 groups with data for 2019.
Is enrolment in pre-primary education, female rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 91.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in pre-primary education, female in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-pre-primary-education-female-number/sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
241 places, 7,204 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Total number of female students enrolled in public and private pre-primary education institutions (ISCED 0.2) regardless of age. Within ISCED 0, early childhood educational development programmes are targeted at children aged 0 to 2 years; and pre-primary education programmes are targeted at children aged 3 years until the age to start ISCED 1.