Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa

UIS: Sub-saharan Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female was 913,787 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
913,787
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
98th
of 218 groups
All-time high
913,787
in 2021
All-time low
358,677
in 1998
Years of data
24
1998–2021

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1998–2021

0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k1.0M1998200920211998: 358.7k1999: 379.0k2000: 418.2k2001: 451.9k2002: 484.8k2003: 519.0k2004: 551.6k2005: 628.2k2006: 629.1k2007: 642.8k2008: 647.3k2009: 675.0k2010: 687.2k2011: 676.4k2012: 700.5k2013: 744.7k2014: 760.7k2015: 799.1k2016: 775.3k2017: 791.2k2018: 832.1k2019: 864.8k2020: 910.8k2021: 913.8k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2021, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 913,787. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 35.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 913,787 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 358,677, in 1998.

UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 98th 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, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female (number) in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1998 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1998 358,677
1999 379,021 +5.7%
2000 418,215 +10.3%
2001 451,905 +8.1%
2002 484,832 +7.3%
2003 519,024 +7.1%
2004 551,649 +6.3%
2005 628,232 +13.9%
2006 629,123 +0.1%
2007 642,811 +2.2%
2008 647,254 +0.7%
2009 675,049 +4.3%
2010 687,213 +1.8%
2011 676,358 -1.6%
2012 700,486 +3.6%
2013 744,698 +6.3%
2014 760,664 +2.1%
2015 799,123 +5.1%
2016 775,322 -3.0%
2017 791,244 +2.1%
2018 832,122 +5.2%
2019 864,758 +3.9%
2020 910,825 +5.3%
2021 913,787 +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 368,849 358,677 379,021 2
2000s 564,809 418,215 675,049 10
2010s 763,199 676,358 864,758 10
2020s 912,306 910,825 913,787 2

Countries ranked near UIS: Sub-saharan Africa

  1. 95 Guyana 4,170 compare
  2. 96 Slovenia 3,837 compare
  3. 97 Qatar 3,798 compare
  4. 98 Eswatini 3,560 compare
  5. 99 Barbados 2,794 compare
  6. 100 Trinidad and Tobago 2,717 compare
  7. 101 Norway 2,686 compare

See the full ranking of 364 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, isced 5 programmes, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa was 913,787 in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 913,787 in 2021.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 358,677 in 1998.
How does UIS: Sub-saharan Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female?
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 98th out of 218 groups with data for 2021.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female rising or falling in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 35.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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, ISCED 5 programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female 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-isced-5-programmes-female-number-2/uis-sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
364 places, 7,676 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release