Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)

ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126): Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes was 2.04 million in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
2.04 million
Change on year
up 0.9%
Rank
92nd
of 218 groups
All-time high
2.04 million
in 2021
All-time low
770,457
in 1998
Years of data
24
1998–2021

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), 1998–2021

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M1998200920211998: 770.5k1999: 815.2k2000: 917.8k2001: 1.0M2002: 1.1M2003: 1.2M2004: 1.3M2005: 1.4M2006: 1.4M2007: 1.4M2008: 1.5M2009: 1.5M2010: 1.6M2011: 1.6M2012: 1.6M2013: 1.7M2014: 1.8M2015: 1.9M2016: 1.8M2017: 1.8M2018: 1.9M2019: 1.9M2020: 2.0M2021: 2.0M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2021, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) stood at 2.04 million. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 29.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) peaked at 2.04 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 770,457, in 1998.

ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) ranks 92nd of 218 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number) in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), 1998 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1998 770,457
1999 815,197 +5.8%
2000 917,781 +12.6%
2001 1.00 million +9.5%
2002 1.09 million +8.8%
2003 1.18 million +7.6%
2004 1.25 million +6.8%
2005 1.42 million +13.3%
2006 1.43 million +0.3%
2007 1.45 million +1.5%
2008 1.48 million +2.3%
2009 1.54 million +3.8%
2010 1.59 million +3.2%
2011 1.58 million -0.6%
2012 1.63 million +3.2%
2013 1.74 million +7.1%
2014 1.79 million +2.7%
2015 1.85 million +3.5%
2016 1.78 million -4.0%
2017 1.81 million +1.7%
2018 1.88 million +3.9%
2019 1.93 million +2.9%
2020 2.03 million +4.8%
2021 2.04 million +0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 792,827 770,457 815,197 2
2000s 1.28 million 917,781 1.54 million 10
2010s 1.76 million 1.58 million 1.93 million 10
2020s 2.04 million 2.03 million 2.04 million 2

Countries ranked near ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)

  1. 89 Botswana 11,049 compare
  2. 90 Hungary 11,045 compare
  3. 91 Honduras 10,899 compare
  4. 92 Germany 10,736 compare
  5. 93 Slovenia 9,987 compare
  6. 94 Senegal 9,685 compare
  7. 95 United Arab Emirates 9,208

See the full ranking of 367 places →

More education data for ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)

All data for ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) was 2.04 million in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
The highest recorded value was 2.04 million in 2021.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
The lowest recorded value was 770,457 in 1998.
How does ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) ranks 92nd out of 218 groups with data for 2021.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/eca-sub-saharan-africa-unsdcode-98126/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
367 places, 7,760 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release