Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 3.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
3.2%
Change on year
up 0.1%
Rank
15th
of 45 groups
All-time high
3.7%
in 2011
All-time low
3.0%
in 2019
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2000–2024

012342000201220242000: 3.3 %2001: 3.3 %2002: 3.3 %2003: 3.3 %2004: 3.3 %2005: 3.3 %2006: 3.3 %2007: 3.4 %2008: 3.4 %2009: 3.5 %2010: 3.6 %2011: 3.7 %2012: 3.6 %2013: 3.5 %2014: 3.4 %2015: 3.4 %2016: 3.3 %2017: 3.2 %2018: 3.1 %2019: 3 %2020: 3.1 %2021: 3.2 %2022: 3.2 %2023: 3.2 %2024: 3.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 3.2%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 6.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 3.7% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2019.

SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 15th of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 25-54 years old, both sexes (%) in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 3.3%
2001 3.3% -1.1%
2002 3.3% -0.5%
2003 3.3% +0.0%
2004 3.3% -1.0%
2005 3.3% -0.1%
2006 3.3% +0.6%
2007 3.4% +3.1%
2008 3.4% +1.2%
2009 3.5% +1.1%
2010 3.6% +3.4%
2011 3.7% +2.3%
2012 3.6% -1.1%
2013 3.5% -3.0%
2014 3.4% -2.0%
2015 3.4% -1.9%
2016 3.3% -3.6%
2017 3.2% -2.7%
2018 3.1% -2.6%
2019 3.0% -2.1%
2020 3.1% +2.0%
2021 3.2% +2.7%
2022 3.2% -0.1%
2023 3.2% +2.3%
2024 3.2% +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3.3% 3.3% 3.5% 10
2010s 3.4% 3.0% 3.7% 10
2020s 3.2% 3.1% 3.2% 5

Countries ranked near SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

  1. 12 Spain 18.5% compare
  2. 13 Belgium 16.6% compare
  3. 14 Belarus 16.2% compare
  4. 15 Ireland 15.0% compare
  5. 16 Latvia 13.7% compare
  6. 17 Italy 13.2% compare
  7. 18 Lithuania 12.0% compare

See the full ranking of 150 places →

More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

All data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 3.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2011.
What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2019.
How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 15th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. 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 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 25-54 years old, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/participation-rate-of-youth-and-adults-in-formal-and-non-formal-education-and-training-in-11/sdg-sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 25-54 years old, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
150 places, 3,020 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release