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

SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes was 796,172 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
796,172
Change on year
up 5.9%
Rank
140th
of 205 groups
All-time high
796,172
in 2021
All-time low
500,564
in 2011
Years of data
11
2011–2021

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

0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k2011201620212011: 500.6k2012: 545.4k2013: 568.6k2014: 630.2k2015: 648.2k2016: 681.5k2017: 702.7k2018: 715.2k2019: 723.7k2020: 751.6k2021: 796.2k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2021, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 796,172. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

The figure is up 5.9% on the previous year and up 59.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 796,172 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 500,564, in 2011.

That places SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 140th out of 205 groups with data for 2021, putting it 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 SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes (number) in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2011 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2011 500,564
2012 545,446 +9.0%
2013 568,631 +4.3%
2014 630,205 +10.8%
2015 648,170 +2.9%
2016 681,514 +5.1%
2017 702,707 +3.1%
2018 715,211 +1.8%
2019 723,688 +1.2%
2020 751,604 +3.9%
2021 796,172 +5.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 635,126 500,564 723,688 9
2020s 773,888 751,604 796,172 2

More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

All data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 796,172 in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 796,172 in 2021.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 500,564 in 2011.
How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes?
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 140th out of 205 groups with data for 2021.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 59.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this SDG: 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 SDG: Sub-saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-7-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/sdg-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