Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa
WB: Sub-saharan Africa: Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female was 8.2% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
8.2%
Change on year
up 1.3%
Rank
189th
of 221 groups
All-time high
8.2%
in 2021
All-time low
1.1%
in 1971
Years of data
52
1970–2021
Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
WB: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 8.2% for gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in 2021. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 26.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 8.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1971.
That places WB: Sub-saharan Africa 189th 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: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.1% | — |
| 1971 | 1.1% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 1.1% | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 1.1% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 1.2% | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 1.2% | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 1.2% | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 1.3% | +4.3% |
| 1979 | 1.4% | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 1.5% | +4.2% |
| 1981 | 1.5% | +5.7% |
| 1982 | 1.6% | +5.6% |
| 1983 | 1.7% | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 1.7% | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 1.8% | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 1.9% | +4.2% |
| 1987 | 1.9% | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 2.1% | +4.6% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 2.2% | +6.1% |
| 1992 | 2.4% | +6.5% |
| 1993 | 2.5% | +6.0% |
| 1994 | 2.7% | +9.2% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 3.1% | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | +4.4% |
| 1999 | 3.3% | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 3.6% | +8.9% |
| 2001 | 3.9% | +7.5% |
| 2002 | 4.2% | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 4.4% | +6.4% |
| 2004 | 4.7% | +5.9% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 5.2% | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 5.3% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 5.6% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 5.9% | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 6.3% | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 6.5% | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 7.2% | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 7.3% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 7.5% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 7.7% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 7.9% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 8.0% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 8.1% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 8.2% | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.1% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.8% | 3.6% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.3% | 6.3% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.1% | 8.1% | 8.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near WB: Sub-saharan Africa
- 186 Central African Republic 1.5% compare
- 187 Papua New Guinea 1.4% compare
- 188 Sierra Leone 1.1% compare
- 189 Haiti 0.5% compare
More education data for WB: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.08 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.60 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa was 8.2% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female recorded in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.2% in 2021.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female recorded in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1971.
- How does WB: Sub-saharan Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female?
- WB: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 189th out of 221 groups with data for 2021.
- Is gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, female rising or falling in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this WB: Sub-saharan Africa 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release