Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in WB: Africa Western and Central

WB: Africa Western and Central: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes was 1.27 million in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
1.27 million
Change on year
up 1.7%
Rank
124th
of 218 groups
All-time high
1.27 million
in 2021
All-time low
376,504
in 1998
Years of data
24
1998–2021

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in WB: Africa Western and Central, 1998–2021

400.0k600.0k800.0k1.0M1.2M1998200920211998: 376.5k1999: 403.2k2000: 479.2k2001: 537.1k2002: 596.2k2003: 656.2k2004: 691.0k2005: 841.4k2006: 820.6k2007: 826.0k2008: 832.8k2009: 861.8k2010: 902.2k2011: 881.1k2012: 937.7k2013: 1.0M2014: 1.1M2015: 1.1M2016: 1.1M2017: 1.1M2018: 1.1M2019: 1.2M2020: 1.3M2021: 1.3M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

WB: Africa Western and Central recorded 1.27 million for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in 2021. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 44.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in WB: Africa Western and Central peaked at 1.27 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 376,504, in 1998.

WB: Africa Western and Central ranks 124th 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 WB: Africa Western and Central, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number) in WB: Africa Western and Central, 1998 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1998 376,504
1999 403,190 +7.1%
2000 479,177 +18.8%
2001 537,062 +12.1%
2002 596,152 +11.0%
2003 656,195 +10.1%
2004 690,984 +5.3%
2005 841,439 +21.8%
2006 820,629 -2.5%
2007 825,999 +0.7%
2008 832,773 +0.8%
2009 861,843 +3.5%
2010 902,182 +4.7%
2011 881,150 -2.3%
2012 937,732 +6.4%
2013 1.03 million +10.2%
2014 1.08 million +4.6%
2015 1.14 million +5.4%
2016 1.10 million -3.7%
2017 1.11 million +0.9%
2018 1.14 million +3.4%
2019 1.20 million +5.2%
2020 1.25 million +4.0%
2021 1.27 million +1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 389,847 376,504 403,190 2
2000s 714,225 479,177 861,843 10
2010s 1.05 million 881,150 1.20 million 10
2020s 1.26 million 1.25 million 1.27 million 2

Countries ranked near WB: Africa Western and Central

  1. 121 Burkina Faso 1,715 compare
  2. 122 Grenada 1,696 compare
  3. 123 Mali 1,497 compare
  4. 124 Saint Lucia 1,314 compare
  5. 125 Comoros 1,080 compare
  6. 126 Czechia 1,070 compare
  7. 127 Luxembourg 829 compare

See the full ranking of 367 places →

More education data for WB: Africa Western and Central

All data for WB: Africa Western and Central →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in WB: Africa Western and Central?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in WB: Africa Western and Central was 1.27 million in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in WB: Africa Western and Central?
The highest recorded value was 1.27 million in 2021.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in WB: Africa Western and Central?
The lowest recorded value was 376,504 in 1998.
How does WB: Africa Western and Central rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
WB: Africa Western and Central ranks 124th out of 218 groups with data for 2021.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Africa Western and Central?
Over the last ten years it is up 44.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this WB: Africa Western and Central 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 WB: Africa Western and Central. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/wb-africa-western-and-central/

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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