Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa

MDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes was 832,623 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
832,623
Change on year
up 5.8%
Rank
134th
of 205 groups
All-time high
832,623
in 2021
All-time low
524,977
in 2011
Years of data
11
2011–2021

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2011–2021

0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k2011201620212011: 525.0k2012: 571.0k2013: 598.4k2014: 659.6k2015: 679.2k2016: 713.6k2017: 735.8k2018: 749.9k2019: 758.4k2020: 787.2k2021: 832.6k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

MDG: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 832,623 for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in 2021. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

The figure is up 5.8% on the previous year and up 58.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 832,623 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 524,977, in 2011.

MDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 134th of 205 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes (number) in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2011 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2011 524,977
2012 571,035 +8.8%
2013 598,353 +4.8%
2014 659,563 +10.2%
2015 679,164 +3.0%
2016 713,565 +5.1%
2017 735,846 +3.1%
2018 749,850 +1.9%
2019 758,398 +1.1%
2020 787,184 +3.8%
2021 832,623 +5.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 665,639 524,977 758,398 9
2020s 809,904 787,184 832,623 2

More education data for MDG: Sub-saharan Africa

All data for MDG: Sub-saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 832,623 in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes recorded in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 832,623 in 2021.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes recorded in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 524,977 in 2011.
How does MDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes?
MDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 134th out of 205 groups with data for 2021.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 58.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this MDG: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-7-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/mdg-sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
333 places, 3,877 data points, 2002–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release