Human capital composite index in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Human capital composite index was -1.13 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024. ▼ Falling
Human capital composite index in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in standard deviations from the yearly mean.
Analysis
The most recent figure for human capital composite index in Sub-Saharan Africa is -1.13 standard deviations from the yearly mean, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 28.9% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human capital composite index in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at -0.5826 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1982 and was at its lowest, -1.14 standard deviations from the yearly mean, in 2007.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 36th of 43 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Human capital composite index in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | standard deviations from the yearly mean | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | -0.8009 standard deviations from the yearly mean | — |
| 1971 | -0.658 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -17.8% |
| 1972 | -0.6744 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +2.5% |
| 1973 | -0.7397 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +9.7% |
| 1974 | -0.769 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +4.0% |
| 1975 | -0.8249 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +7.3% |
| 1976 | -0.8124 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.5% |
| 1977 | -0.7642 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -5.9% |
| 1978 | -0.732 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -4.2% |
| 1979 | -0.7015 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -4.2% |
| 1980 | -0.6304 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -10.1% |
| 1981 | -0.6386 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +1.3% |
| 1982 | -0.5826 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -8.8% |
| 1983 | -0.6138 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +5.4% |
| 1984 | -0.6243 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +1.7% |
| 1985 | -0.7578 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +21.4% |
| 1986 | -0.7614 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +0.5% |
| 1987 | -0.7644 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +0.4% |
| 1988 | -0.7377 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -3.5% |
| 1989 | -0.8097 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +9.8% |
| 1990 | -0.8964 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +10.7% |
| 1991 | -0.8276 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -7.7% |
| 1992 | -0.8854 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +7.0% |
| 1993 | -0.8616 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -2.7% |
| 1994 | -0.8985 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +4.3% |
| 1995 | -0.9381 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +4.4% |
| 1996 | -0.9068 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -3.3% |
| 1997 | -0.9838 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +8.5% |
| 1998 | -0.8802 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -10.5% |
| 1999 | -0.981 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +11.4% |
| 2000 | -1.06 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +7.6% |
| 2001 | -1.03 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -2.7% |
| 2002 | -1.03 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +0.8% |
| 2003 | -1.07 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +3.4% |
| 2004 | -1.02 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -4.8% |
| 2005 | -1.01 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.5% |
| 2006 | -1.01 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +0.0% |
| 2007 | -1.14 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +12.5% |
| 2008 | -1.09 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -4.2% |
| 2009 | -1.06 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -3.1% |
| 2010 | -1.04 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.9% |
| 2011 | -0.9592 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -7.5% |
| 2012 | -0.9589 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -0.9008 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -6.1% |
| 2014 | -0.9157 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +1.6% |
| 2015 | -0.9151 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.1% |
| 2016 | -0.9849 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +7.6% |
| 2017 | -0.9334 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -5.2% |
| 2018 | -0.9029 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -3.3% |
| 2019 | -0.9014 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.2% |
| 2020 | -0.9836 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +9.1% |
| 2021 | -0.8628 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -12.3% |
| 2022 | -0.9738 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +12.9% |
| 2023 | -0.8761 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -10.0% |
| 2024 | -1.13 standard deviations from the yearly mean | +28.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -0.7477 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.8249 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.658 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.6921 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.8097 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.5826 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.9059 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.9838 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.8276 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.05 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.14 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.01 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.9409 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.04 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.9008 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.9651 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -1.13 standard deviations from the yearly mean | -0.8628 standard deviations from the yearly mean | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 33 Saudi Arabia 0.7482 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 34 Turkey 0.7391 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 35 Grenada 0.7209 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 36 Liechtenstein 0.7043 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 37 Ireland 0.6921 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 38 Sao Tome and Principe 0.6721 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
- 39 Fiji 0.6552 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.43 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human capital composite index in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Human capital composite index in Sub-Saharan Africa was -1.13 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest human capital composite index recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was -0.5826 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1982.
- What is the lowest human capital composite index recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.14 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2007.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for human capital composite index?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 36th out of 43 groups with data for 2024.
- Is human capital composite index rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Human capital composite index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
An equal-weighted index of 4 indicators: Literacy rate, adult total; School enrollment, primary; School enrollment, secondary; Government expenditure on education, total. Each is standardised against that year's spread across all reporting countries before averaging, so a score of 0 is the average country and +1 is one standard deviation above it.
Equal-weighted mean of the standardised inputs below.
Computed from
- Literacy rate, adult total Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- School enrollment, primary Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- School enrollment, secondary Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- Government expenditure on education, total Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
An equal-weighted index of 4 indicators: Literacy rate, adult total; School enrollment, primary; School enrollment, secondary; Government expenditure on education, total. Each is standardised against that year's spread across all reporting countries before averaging, so a score of 0 is the average country and +1 is one standard deviation above it.