Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female was 57.0% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1998–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 57.0% for gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female in 2018. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 57.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 38.9%, in 1998.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 39th out of 45 groups with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 38.9% | — |
| 1999 | 39.3% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 40.4% | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 41.7% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 42.8% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 44.4% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 45.9% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 47.4% | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 48.7% | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 49.7% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 51.2% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 52.3% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 53.1% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 54.1% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 55.5% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 56.8% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 56.5% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 56.5% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 56.4% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 56.7% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 57.0% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 39.1% | 38.9% | 39.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 46.5% | 40.4% | 52.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.9% | 53.1% | 57.0% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.43 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (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 capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa was 57.0% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 57.0% in 2018.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.9% in 1998.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 39th out of 45 groups with data for 2018.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total female enrollment in primary, secondary and tertiary education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the total female population of primary school age, secondary school age, and the five-year age group following on from secondary school leaving. 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.