Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104): Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes was 12.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
12.1%
Change on year
down 0.6%
Rank
175th
of 221 groups
All-time high
12.4%
in 2018
All-time low
2.2%
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) is 12.1%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) peaked at 12.4% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 1970.
That places ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) 175th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.2% | — |
| 1971 | 2.2% | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 2.3% | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 2.4% | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 2.5% | +6.9% |
| 1975 | 2.7% | +8.7% |
| 1976 | 2.9% | +6.0% |
| 1977 | 3.0% | +4.1% |
| 1978 | 3.2% | +5.1% |
| 1979 | 3.3% | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 3.5% | +4.9% |
| 1981 | 3.7% | +5.9% |
| 1982 | 3.9% | +5.9% |
| 1983 | 4.0% | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 4.3% | +6.0% |
| 1985 | 4.5% | +5.5% |
| 1986 | 4.7% | +5.2% |
| 1987 | 5.0% | +6.3% |
| 1988 | 5.4% | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 5.8% | +8.6% |
| 1990 | 5.8% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 6.0% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 6.4% | +6.9% |
| 1993 | 6.8% | +6.8% |
| 1994 | 7.6% | +10.4% |
| 1995 | 7.7% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 7.7% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 7.7% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 7.8% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 7.7% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 7.7% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 7.8% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 7.9% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 8.3% | +5.5% |
| 2004 | 8.4% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 8.7% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 8.9% | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 9.5% | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 9.8% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 10.1% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 10.2% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 10.5% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 11.1% | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 11.1% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 11.5% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 11.6% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 12.1% | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 12.4% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 12.3% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 12.3% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 12.1% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 12.4% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 12.2% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 12.1% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.7% | 2.2% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.5% | 3.5% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.1% | 5.8% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.6% | 7.7% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.3% | 10.1% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.2% | 12.1% | 12.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- 172 Eswatini 6.4% compare
- 173 Burundi 6.4% compare
- 174 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 6.4% compare
- 175 Madagascar 6.1% compare
- 176 Mauritania 6.0% compare
- 177 Ethiopia 5.9% compare
- 178 Anguilla 5.4% compare
More education data for ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 7.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 0.2683 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.24 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 7.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.6859 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14.16 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) was 12.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The highest recorded value was 12.4% in 2018.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 1970.
- How does ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) rank for gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes?
- ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 175th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release