Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa
UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa: Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education was 26.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, 1997–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa stood at 26.1%. That is the lowest value across all 28 years on record.
That represents a change of down 9.6% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa peaked at 39.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 26.1%, in 2024.
That places UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa 30th out of 214 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 32.2% | — |
| 1998 | 34.5% | +7.4% |
| 1999 | 32.4% | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 36.8% | +13.8% |
| 2001 | 35.1% | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 35.4% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 36.1% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 37.2% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 37.2% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 39.0% | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 38.7% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 37.9% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 37.4% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 36.6% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 34.9% | -4.7% |
| 2012 | 34.3% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 32.3% | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 31.7% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 32.5% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 31.5% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 31.3% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 29.9% | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 27.6% | -7.8% |
| 2020 | 27.8% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 27.9% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 28.4% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 28.8% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 26.1% | -9.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33.0% | 32.2% | 34.5% | 3 |
| 2000s | 37.1% | 35.1% | 39.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.3% | 27.6% | 36.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.8% | 26.1% | 28.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa
More education data for UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 49.26 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.50 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.77 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 36.30 million (2022)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 50.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.32 % change on previous year (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 8.67 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9.20 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa was 26.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 39.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.1% in 2024.
- How does UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education?
- UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa ranks 30th out of 214 groups with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education rising or falling in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release