Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes was 46.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2000–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa is 46.2%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 60.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 46.2%, in 2025.
That places SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 8th 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 60.5% | — |
| 2001 | 59.6% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 58.7% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 57.7% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 56.4% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 54.9% | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 53.2% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 51.9% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 50.7% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 49.7% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 48.8% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 48.2% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 47.8% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 47.5% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 47.6% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 47.8% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 47.7% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 47.5% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 47.3% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 47.3% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 47.2% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 47.1% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 47.0% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 46.9% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 46.5% | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 46.2% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 55.3% | 49.7% | 60.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.8% | 47.3% | 48.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.8% | 46.2% | 47.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 46.2% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 60.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.2% in 2025.
- How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes?
- SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 8th out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release