Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes was 73.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1970–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 73.6%, measured in 2018.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 75.0% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 35.5%, in 1970.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 42nd out of 45 groups with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 35.5% | — |
| 1971 | 35.9% | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 36.8% | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 37.6% | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 38.9% | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 40.0% | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 40.9% | +2.3% |
| 1977 | 43.0% | +5.2% |
| 1978 | 45.5% | +5.6% |
| 1979 | 48.4% | +6.4% |
| 1980 | 50.6% | +4.6% |
| 1981 | 52.5% | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 54.4% | +3.6% |
| 1983 | 54.9% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 54.7% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 53.5% | -2.1% |
| 1986 | 52.2% | -2.5% |
| 1987 | 51.4% | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 50.8% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 50.9% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 50.4% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 51.1% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 50.9% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 51.4% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 51.6% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 52.2% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 51.2% | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 53.5% | +4.5% |
| 1998 | 54.5% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 54.9% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 56.4% | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 58.2% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 59.9% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 61.9% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 63.8% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 65.6% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 67.1% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 68.2% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 69.8% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 70.7% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 71.4% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 72.7% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 73.7% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 75.0% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 74.2% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 73.6% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 73.4% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 73.5% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 73.6% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.3% | 35.5% | 48.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 52.6% | 50.6% | 54.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.2% | 50.4% | 54.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.2% | 56.4% | 70.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.4% | 71.4% | 75.0% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.79 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.42 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9733 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 73.6% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 75.0% in 2013.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.5% in 1970.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 42nd out of 45 groups with data for 2018.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total enrollment in primary and secondary education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the total population of official primary and secondary education age. GER can exceed 100% due to the inclusion of over-aged and under-aged students because of early or late school entrance and grade repetition.