Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Africa Western and Central
WB: Africa Western and Central: Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female was 8.5% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
8.5%
Change on year
up 3.9%
Rank
185th
of 221 groups
All-time high
8.5%
in 2021
All-time low
0.3%
in 1971
Years of data
52
1970–2021
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Africa Western and Central, 1970–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
WB: Africa Western and Central recorded 8.5% for gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in 2021. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
The figure is up 3.9% on the previous year and up 36.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Africa Western and Central peaked at 8.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1971.
That places WB: Africa Western and Central 185th out of 221 groups with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.3% | — |
| 1971 | 0.3% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 0.3% | +4.4% |
| 1973 | 0.3% | +7.6% |
| 1974 | 0.3% | +8.3% |
| 1975 | 0.3% | +8.0% |
| 1976 | 0.4% | +13.5% |
| 1977 | 0.5% | +22.3% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | +14.4% |
| 1979 | 0.7% | +24.9% |
| 1980 | 0.7% | +11.0% |
| 1981 | 0.9% | +18.5% |
| 1982 | 0.9% | +8.8% |
| 1983 | 1.0% | +4.8% |
| 1984 | 1.0% | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 1.1% | +9.5% |
| 1986 | 1.2% | +6.9% |
| 1987 | 1.2% | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | +10.5% |
| 1991 | 1.5% | +10.2% |
| 1992 | 1.7% | +10.7% |
| 1993 | 1.9% | +10.6% |
| 1994 | 2.1% | +10.7% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | +9.3% |
| 1996 | 2.5% | +10.3% |
| 1997 | 2.8% | +10.2% |
| 1998 | 3.0% | +7.9% |
| 1999 | 3.2% | +8.2% |
| 2000 | 3.7% | +14.9% |
| 2001 | 4.1% | +9.0% |
| 2002 | 4.4% | +9.0% |
| 2003 | 4.8% | +7.6% |
| 2004 | 5.0% | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 5.3% | +6.9% |
| 2006 | 5.4% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 5.6% | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 5.7% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 5.9% | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 6.1% | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 6.2% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 6.5% | +5.2% |
| 2013 | 7.0% | +7.1% |
| 2014 | 7.2% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 7.3% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 7.4% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 7.7% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 7.9% | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 8.2% | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 8.5% | +3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.2% | 1.4% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.0% | 3.7% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.1% | 6.1% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.3% | 8.2% | 8.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near WB: Africa Western and Central
- 182 Suriname 3.0% compare
- 183 Eritrea 2.6% compare
- 184 Chad 2.5% compare
- 185 Malawi 2.2% compare
- 186 Central African Republic 1.5% compare
- 187 Papua New Guinea 1.4% compare
- 188 Sierra Leone 1.1% compare
More education data for WB: Africa Western and Central
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4.61 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 7.4 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.89 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.08 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.08 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7294 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.00 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.08 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 18.05 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Africa Western and Central was 8.5% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female recorded in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 8.5% in 2021.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female recorded in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1971.
- How does WB: Africa Western and Central rank for gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female?
- WB: Africa Western and Central ranks 185th out of 221 groups with data for 2021.
- Is gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female rising or falling in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this WB: Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release