Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126): Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes was 10.51 million in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
10.51 million
Change on year
up 3.9%
Rank
128th
of 221 groups
All-time high
10.51 million
in 2021
All-time low
386,011
in 1971
Years of data
52
1970–2021
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), 1970–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2021, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) stood at 10.51 million. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.9% on the previous year and up 53.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) peaked at 10.51 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 386,011, in 1971.
That places ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) 128th out of 221 groups with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 389,320 | — |
| 1971 | 386,011 | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 416,176 | +7.8% |
| 1973 | 425,332 | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 457,486 | +7.6% |
| 1975 | 486,662 | +6.4% |
| 1976 | 518,722 | +6.6% |
| 1977 | 560,852 | +8.1% |
| 1978 | 611,722 | +9.1% |
| 1979 | 675,762 | +10.5% |
| 1980 | 730,224 | +8.1% |
| 1981 | 802,956 | +10.0% |
| 1982 | 884,960 | +10.2% |
| 1983 | 934,197 | +5.6% |
| 1984 | 978,071 | +4.7% |
| 1985 | 1.06 million | +8.3% |
| 1986 | 1.14 million | +7.5% |
| 1987 | 1.19 million | +4.6% |
| 1988 | 1.29 million | +8.2% |
| 1989 | 1.40 million | +8.3% |
| 1990 | 1.46 million | +4.9% |
| 1991 | 1.57 million | +7.0% |
| 1992 | 1.68 million | +6.9% |
| 1993 | 1.80 million | +7.5% |
| 1994 | 1.93 million | +7.4% |
| 1995 | 2.05 million | +6.0% |
| 1996 | 2.16 million | +5.2% |
| 1997 | 2.27 million | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 2.39 million | +5.3% |
| 1999 | 2.50 million | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 2.80 million | +12.1% |
| 2001 | 3.12 million | +11.3% |
| 2002 | 3.45 million | +10.6% |
| 2003 | 3.82 million | +10.7% |
| 2004 | 4.12 million | +7.9% |
| 2005 | 4.49 million | +8.8% |
| 2006 | 4.76 million | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 5.02 million | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 5.42 million | +7.9% |
| 2009 | 5.88 million | +8.5% |
| 2010 | 6.40 million | +8.9% |
| 2011 | 6.85 million | +7.1% |
| 2012 | 7.31 million | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 7.81 million | +6.8% |
| 2014 | 8.15 million | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 8.47 million | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 8.72 million | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 9.08 million | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 9.44 million | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 9.72 million | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 10.12 million | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 10.51 million | +3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 492,804 | 386,011 | 675,762 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.04 million | 730,224 | 1.40 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.98 million | 1.46 million | 2.50 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.29 million | 2.80 million | 5.88 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.19 million | 6.40 million | 9.72 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.31 million | 10.12 million | 10.51 million | 2 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
More education data for ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 93.7% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 38.99 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 6.3% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 42.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 26.34 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 5.12 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 100.13 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes 80.81 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 40.75 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 92.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) was 10.51 million in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- The highest recorded value was 10.51 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- The lowest recorded value was 386,011 in 1971.
- How does ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) ranks 128th out of 221 groups with data for 2021.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release