Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female was 44,062 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
44,062
Change on year
up 14.7%
Rank
139th
of 216 groups
All-time high
44,062
in 2021
All-time low
8,422
in 1998
Years of data
24
1998–2021

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1998–2021

10.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k1998200920211998: 8.4k1999: 8.6k2000: 8.6k2001: 8.6k2002: 9.9k2003: 12.0k2004: 13.8k2005: 15.1k2006: 16.1k2007: 17.2k2008: 17.0k2009: 17.4k2010: 18.3k2011: 19.2k2012: 20.3k2013: 22.9k2014: 25.2k2015: 27.2k2016: 34.5k2017: 32.8k2018: 36.4k2019: 36.9k2020: 38.4k2021: 44.1k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa is 44,062, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is up 14.7% on the previous year and up 129.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 44,062 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 8,422, in 1998.

That places SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 139th out of 216 groups with data for 2021, putting it 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 8 programmes, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female (number) in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1998 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1998 8,422
1999 8,600 +2.1%
2000 8,574 -0.3%
2001 8,570 -0.0%
2002 9,859 +15.0%
2003 12,006 +21.8%
2004 13,817 +15.1%
2005 15,108 +9.3%
2006 16,135 +6.8%
2007 17,242 +6.9%
2008 17,034 -1.2%
2009 17,356 +1.9%
2010 18,348 +5.7%
2011 19,227 +4.8%
2012 20,346 +5.8%
2013 22,854 +12.3%
2014 25,209 +10.3%
2015 27,214 +8.0%
2016 34,508 +26.8%
2017 32,836 -4.8%
2018 36,381 +10.8%
2019 36,922 +1.5%
2020 38,430 +4.1%
2021 44,062 +14.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 8,511 8,422 8,600 2
2000s 13,570 8,570 17,356 10
2010s 27,384 18,348 36,922 10
2020s 41,246 38,430 44,062 2

Countries ranked near SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

  1. 136 San Marino 10
  2. 137 Laos 8 compare
  3. 138 Seychelles 7 compare
  4. 138 Samoa 7 compare
  5. 140 Grenada 4 compare
  6. 141 Lesotho 2 compare
  7. 142 Saint Lucia 0

See the full ranking of 358 places →

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 8 programmes, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 44,062 in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 44,062 in 2021.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 8,422 in 1998.
How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female?
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 139th out of 216 groups with data for 2021.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, female rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 129.2%. 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 8 programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-8-programmes-female-number-2/sdg-sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, female (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
358 places, 7,873 data points, 1996–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release