Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in WB: Sub-saharan Africa
WB: Sub-saharan Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes was 97.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
97.1%
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
150th
of 221 groups
All-time high
97.9%
in 2020
All-time low
53.5%
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in WB: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
WB: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 97.1% for gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in WB: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 97.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 53.5%, in 1971.
That places WB: Sub-saharan Africa 150th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in WB: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 54.9% | — |
| 1971 | 53.5% | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 54.7% | +2.2% |
| 1973 | 55.9% | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 58.1% | +3.9% |
| 1975 | 59.7% | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 60.8% | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 64.0% | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 67.7% | +5.7% |
| 1979 | 72.0% | +6.4% |
| 1980 | 75.1% | +4.2% |
| 1981 | 77.6% | +3.4% |
| 1982 | 79.7% | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 79.6% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 78.8% | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 76.4% | -3.1% |
| 1986 | 73.7% | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 72.2% | -2.1% |
| 1988 | 71.2% | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 71.9% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 71.1% | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 72.1% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 72.0% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 73.3% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 73.5% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 74.0% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 72.0% | -2.7% |
| 1997 | 75.4% | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 76.7% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 77.1% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 79.5% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 81.3% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 83.5% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 86.0% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 88.0% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 90.3% | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 92.1% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 92.9% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 94.2% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 94.6% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 94.4% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 95.7% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 96.5% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 96.6% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 96.2% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 94.6% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 94.9% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 95.4% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 96.2% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 97.1% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 97.9% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 97.1% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 96.0% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 96.8% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 97.1% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 60.1% | 53.5% | 72.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 75.6% | 71.2% | 79.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 73.7% | 71.1% | 77.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 88.2% | 79.5% | 94.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 95.8% | 94.4% | 97.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.0% | 96.0% | 97.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: Sub-saharan Africa
- 147 Martinique 96.9% compare
- 148 Bahrain 96.9% compare
- 149 Belarus 96.8% compare
- 150 Central African Republic 96.8% compare
- 151 Saint Lucia 96.8% compare
- 152 Egypt 96.7% compare
- 153 New Zealand 96.7% 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, primary, both sexes in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes in WB: Sub-saharan Africa was 97.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes recorded in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 97.9% in 2020.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes recorded in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.5% in 1971.
- How does WB: Sub-saharan Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes?
- WB: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 150th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes rising or falling in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, primary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release