Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 33.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2000–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 33.8%.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and up 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 47.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 32.1%, in 2014.
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 falling across the 26 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 47.2% | — |
| 2001 | 45.6% | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 43.6% | -4.4% |
| 2003 | 41.6% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 39.5% | -5.0% |
| 2005 | 37.8% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 36.2% | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 35.4% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 34.4% | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 33.6% | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 32.9% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 32.6% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 32.4% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 32.3% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 32.1% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 32.3% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 32.7% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 33.0% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 33.4% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 33.9% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 34.4% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 34.6% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 34.9% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 34.8% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 34.4% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 33.8% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 39.5% | 33.6% | 47.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.8% | 32.1% | 33.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.5% | 33.8% | 34.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- 3 Cape Verde 66.3% compare
- 4 Senegal 63.9% compare
- 5 Tokelau 61.6% compare
- 6 Central African Republic 60.1% compare
- 7 Burkina Faso 59.3% compare
- 8 Chad 58.6% compare
- 9 Mali 56.3% 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 33.8% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 47.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.1% in 2014.
- How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 6th out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release