Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female was 4.63 million in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
4.63 million
Change on year
up 4.3%
Rank
126th
of 221 groups
All-time high
4.63 million
in 2021
All-time low
152,844
in 1970
Years of data
52
1970–2021
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2021, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 4.63 million. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 65.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 4.63 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 152,844, in 1970.
UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 126th of 221 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 tertiary education, all programmes, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 152,844 | — |
| 1971 | 155,494 | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 161,037 | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 166,080 | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 176,513 | +6.3% |
| 1975 | 185,864 | +5.3% |
| 1976 | 196,397 | +5.7% |
| 1977 | 209,792 | +6.8% |
| 1978 | 224,804 | +7.2% |
| 1979 | 243,855 | +8.5% |
| 1980 | 261,748 | +7.3% |
| 1981 | 284,254 | +8.6% |
| 1982 | 309,110 | +8.7% |
| 1983 | 326,536 | +5.6% |
| 1984 | 344,656 | +5.5% |
| 1985 | 369,662 | +7.3% |
| 1986 | 397,108 | +7.4% |
| 1987 | 421,919 | +6.2% |
| 1988 | 445,558 | +5.6% |
| 1989 | 480,844 | +7.9% |
| 1990 | 502,618 | +4.5% |
| 1991 | 548,355 | +9.1% |
| 1992 | 600,863 | +9.6% |
| 1993 | 656,497 | +9.3% |
| 1994 | 731,476 | +11.4% |
| 1995 | 789,071 | +7.9% |
| 1996 | 844,158 | +7.0% |
| 1997 | 904,771 | +7.2% |
| 1998 | 971,641 | +7.4% |
| 1999 | 1.03 million | +6.4% |
| 2000 | 1.16 million | +12.1% |
| 2001 | 1.28 million | +10.6% |
| 2002 | 1.42 million | +11.0% |
| 2003 | 1.56 million | +9.3% |
| 2004 | 1.70 million | +9.0% |
| 2005 | 1.85 million | +9.2% |
| 2006 | 1.98 million | +7.1% |
| 2007 | 2.09 million | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 2.24 million | +7.2% |
| 2009 | 2.45 million | +9.0% |
| 2010 | 2.66 million | +8.6% |
| 2011 | 2.81 million | +5.7% |
| 2012 | 3.05 million | +8.7% |
| 2013 | 3.28 million | +7.5% |
| 2014 | 3.42 million | +4.3% |
| 2015 | 3.58 million | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 3.71 million | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 3.89 million | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 4.08 million | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 4.24 million | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 4.44 million | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 4.63 million | +4.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 187,268 | 152,844 | 243,855 | 10 |
| 1980s | 364,140 | 261,748 | 480,844 | 10 |
| 1990s | 758,300 | 502,618 | 1.03 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.77 million | 1.16 million | 2.45 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.47 million | 2.66 million | 4.24 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.53 million | 4.44 million | 4.63 million | 2 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 10.53 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.42 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.54 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.63 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.14 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa was 4.63 million in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.63 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 152,844 in 1970.
- How does UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female?
- UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 126th out of 221 groups with data for 2021.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female rising or falling in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 65.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (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