Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa

UIS: Sub-saharan Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male was 5.50 million in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
5.50 million
Change on year
up 3.6%
Rank
128th
of 221 groups
All-time high
5.50 million
in 2021
All-time low
151,856
in 1971
Years of data
52
1970–2021

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2021

02.0M4.0M6.0M197019952021

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

UIS: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 5.50 million for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in 2021. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.6% on the previous year and up 45.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 5.50 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 151,856, in 1971.

That places UIS: Sub-saharan Africa 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, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1970 157,816
1971 151,856 -3.8%
1972 176,477 +16.2%
1973 180,590 +2.3%
1974 202,312 +12.0%
1975 222,137 +9.8%
1976 243,666 +9.7%
1977 272,402 +11.8%
1978 308,264 +13.2%
1979 353,280 +14.6%
1980 389,884 +10.4%
1981 440,145 +12.9%
1982 497,334 +13.0%
1983 529,190 +6.4%
1984 554,995 +4.9%
1985 610,851 +10.1%
1986 663,148 +8.6%
1987 690,831 +4.2%
1988 764,298 +10.6%
1989 836,250 +9.4%
1990 883,196 +5.6%
1991 940,417 +6.5%
1992 996,398 +6.0%
1993 1.07 million +7.0%
1994 1.12 million +5.5%
1995 1.18 million +5.1%
1996 1.23 million +4.3%
1997 1.29 million +4.6%
1998 1.34 million +4.1%
1999 1.39 million +3.2%
2000 1.57 million +12.8%
2001 1.73 million +10.8%
2002 1.91 million +10.0%
2003 2.15 million +12.6%
2004 2.28 million +6.1%
2005 2.46 million +8.2%
2006 2.58 million +4.8%
2007 2.73 million +5.9%
2008 2.94 million +7.7%
2009 3.20 million +8.6%
2010 3.50 million +9.6%
2011 3.79 million +8.1%
2012 4.00 million +5.6%
2013 4.22 million +5.5%
2014 4.43 million +4.8%
2015 4.57 million +3.3%
2016 4.67 million +2.2%
2017 4.84 million +3.6%
2018 4.99 million +3.2%
2019 5.12 million +2.5%
2020 5.31 million +3.7%
2021 5.50 million +3.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 226,880 151,856 353,280 10
1980s 597,693 389,884 836,250 10
1990s 1.14 million 883,196 1.39 million 10
2000s 2.35 million 1.57 million 3.20 million 10
2010s 4.41 million 3.50 million 5.12 million 10
2020s 5.40 million 5.31 million 5.50 million 2

Countries ranked near UIS: Sub-saharan Africa

  1. 125 Moldova 33,513 compare
  2. 126 Congo 33,072 compare
  3. 127 Zambia 32,186 compare
  4. 128 Latvia 30,806 compare
  5. 129 Bosnia and Herzegovina 30,320 compare
  6. 130 Jamaica 27,890 compare
  7. 131 Liberia 27,165 compare

See the full ranking of 416 places →

More education data for UIS: Sub-saharan Africa

All data for UIS: Sub-saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa was 5.50 million in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 5.50 million in 2021.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 151,856 in 1971.
How does UIS: Sub-saharan Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male?
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 128th out of 221 groups with data for 2021.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male rising or falling in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 45.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this UIS: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-male-number-2/uis-sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
416 places, 17,221 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release