Lower secondary completion rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Lower secondary completion rate, total was 44.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Lower secondary completion rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1973–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of relevant age group.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 44.4% for lower secondary completion rate, total in 2023. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lower secondary completion rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 44.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 22.6%, in 1973.
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 39th of 45 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Lower secondary completion rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of relevant age group | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 22.6% | — |
| 1974 | 22.6% | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 22.7% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 22.8% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 23.0% | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 23.1% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 23.1% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 23.4% | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 23.5% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 23.6% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 23.7% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 23.8% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 23.8% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 23.8% | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 23.7% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 23.8% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 23.9% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 24.2% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 24.4% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 24.4% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 24.7% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 24.7% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 25.4% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 25.8% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 26.2% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 26.6% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 26.9% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 27.1% | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 28.3% | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 30.4% | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 30.9% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 31.4% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 32.4% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 33.6% | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 35.0% | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 36.7% | +5.0% |
| 2009 | 37.8% | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 38.9% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 39.8% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 40.4% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 40.9% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 41.7% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 42.3% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 42.5% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 42.6% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 42.8% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 43.0% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 43.7% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 44.2% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 43.8% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 44.4% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.9% | 22.6% | 23.1% | 7 |
| 1980s | 23.7% | 23.4% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.3% | 24.2% | 26.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.4% | 27.1% | 37.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.5% | 38.9% | 43.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.0% | 43.7% | 44.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.43 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lower secondary completion rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Lower secondary completion rate, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 44.4% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest lower secondary completion rate, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 44.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest lower secondary completion rate, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.6% in 1973.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for lower secondary completion rate, total?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 39th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is lower secondary completion rate, total rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Lower secondary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Lower secondary education completion rate is measured as the gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary education (general and pre-vocational). It is calculated as the number of new entrants in the last grade of lower secondary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of lower secondary education.