Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes was 32.14 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
32.14 million
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
6th
of 39 groups
All-time high
32.14 million
in 2024
All-time low
20.79 million
in 2008
Years of data
26
2000–2025
Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2000–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2025, out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 32.14 million. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 34.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 32.14 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 20.79 million, in 2008.
That places SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 6th out of 39 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 23.29 million | — |
| 2001 | 23.09 million | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 22.73 million | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 22.25 million | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 21.71 million | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 21.28 million | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 20.94 million | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 20.82 million | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 20.79 million | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 20.85 million | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 20.98 million | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 21.34 million | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 21.81 million | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 22.33 million | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 22.90 million | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 23.93 million | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 24.88 million | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 25.78 million | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 26.91 million | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 28.13 million | +4.5% |
| 2020 | 29.47 million | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 30.09 million | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 31.12 million | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 31.78 million | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 32.14 million | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 32.14 million | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 21.77 million | 20.79 million | 23.29 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.90 million | 20.98 million | 28.13 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.12 million | 29.47 million | 32.14 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- 3 Tanzania, United Republic of 3.12 million compare
- 4 Algeria 2.82 million compare
- 5 Bangladesh 2.34 million compare
- 6 Niger 2.11 million compare
- 7 Burkina Faso 1.41 million compare
- 8 Cameroon 1.26 million compare
- 9 Philippines 1.23 million compare
More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 191.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 12.63 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 12.47 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8202 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.94 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 97.68 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 32.14 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 32.14 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.79 million in 2008.
- How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes?
- SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 6th out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release