Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: West and Central Africa

UNICEF: West and Central Africa: Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education was 26.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
26.6%
Change on year
up 0.8%
Rank
26th
of 214 groups
All-time high
35.0%
in 2010
All-time low
26.0%
in 2020
Years of data
17
2002–2023

Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, 2002–2023

0102030402002201220232002: 31.5 %2003: 34.8 %2004: 31.4 %2010: 35 %2011: 30.5 %2012: 29 %2013: 29.1 %2014: 28.5 %2015: 28.9 %2016: 28.5 %2017: 28 %2018: 27.5 %2019: 27.5 %2020: 26 %2021: 26.7 %2022: 26.4 %2023: 26.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

UNICEF: West and Central Africa recorded 26.6% for percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 8.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: West and Central Africa peaked at 35.0% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 26.0%, in 2020.

That places UNICEF: West and Central Africa 26th out of 214 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, female (%) in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, 2002 to 2023.
Year % Change
2002 31.5%
2003 34.8% +10.4%
2004 31.4% -9.9%
2010 35.0% +11.6%
2011 30.5% -12.9%
2012 29.0% -4.8%
2013 29.1% +0.4%
2014 28.5% -2.2%
2015 28.9% +1.4%
2016 28.5% -1.3%
2017 28.0% -1.9%
2018 27.5% -1.9%
2019 27.5% +0.1%
2020 26.0% -5.5%
2021 26.7% +2.6%
2022 26.4% -1.1%
2023 26.6% +0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 32.6% 31.4% 34.8% 3
2010s 29.3% 27.5% 35.0% 10
2020s 26.4% 26.0% 26.7% 4

Countries ranked near UNICEF: West and Central Africa

  1. 23 Mauritius 29.5% compare
  2. 24 Madagascar 28.6% compare
  3. 25 Zambia 26.3% compare
  4. 26 Nepal 26.1% compare
  5. 27 Aruba 25.8% compare
  6. 28 Suriname 25.6% compare
  7. 29 Togo 24.6% compare

See the full ranking of 398 places →

More education data for UNICEF: West and Central Africa

All data for UNICEF: West and Central Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: West and Central Africa was 26.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
The highest recorded value was 35.0% in 2010.
What is the lowest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 26.0% in 2020.
How does UNICEF: West and Central Africa rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education?
UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 26th out of 214 groups with data for 2023.
Is percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education rising or falling in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this UNICEF: West and Central 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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Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: West and Central Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-pupils-enrolled-in-lower-secondary-general-education-who-are-at-least-2-6/unicef-west-and-central-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
398 places, 6,556 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release