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 48.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
48.6%
Change on year
up 4.1%
Rank
27th
of 214 groups
All-time high
126.5%
in 1997
All-time low
43.7%
in 2012
Years of data
27
1997–2023

Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, 1997–2023

4060801001201997201020231997: 126.5 %1998: 51.9 %1999: 64.5 %2000: 51.1 %2001: 46.6 %2002: 44 %2003: 45.6 %2004: 44.5 %2005: 45.8 %2006: 49 %2007: 48.3 %2008: 48.1 %2009: 47.6 %2010: 46.2 %2011: 48.8 %2012: 43.7 %2013: 52.1 %2014: 48.4 %2015: 47.5 %2016: 47.8 %2017: 50.7 %2018: 49.3 %2019: 57.7 %2020: 74.8 %2021: 93.7 %2022: 46.7 %2023: 48.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa stood at 48.6%.

The figure is up 4.1% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa peaked at 126.5% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 43.7%, in 2012.

UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa ranks 27th of 214 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.

Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern 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, male (%) in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, 1997 to 2023.
Year % Change
1997 126.5%
1998 51.9% -59.0%
1999 64.5% +24.4%
2000 51.1% -20.8%
2001 46.6% -8.8%
2002 44.0% -5.6%
2003 45.6% +3.7%
2004 44.5% -2.5%
2005 45.8% +2.9%
2006 49.0% +7.0%
2007 48.3% -1.6%
2008 48.1% -0.4%
2009 47.6% -0.9%
2010 46.2% -3.0%
2011 48.8% +5.6%
2012 43.7% -10.5%
2013 52.1% +19.2%
2014 48.4% -7.0%
2015 47.5% -1.9%
2016 47.8% +0.7%
2017 50.7% +6.0%
2018 49.3% -2.8%
2019 57.7% +17.0%
2020 74.8% +29.7%
2021 93.7% +25.3%
2022 46.7% -50.1%
2023 48.6% +4.1%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1998 -59.0% 126.5% 51.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 81.0% 51.9% 126.5% 3
2000s 47.1% 44.0% 51.1% 10
2010s 49.2% 43.7% 57.7% 10
2020s 66.0% 46.7% 93.7% 4

Countries ranked near UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa

  1. 24 Madagascar 35.6% compare
  2. 25 Mauritius 35.5% compare
  3. 26 Timor-Leste 34.8% compare
  4. 27 Zambia 32.2% compare
  5. 28 Morocco 30.2% compare
  6. 29 Oman 30.0% compare
  7. 30 Togo 29.7% compare

See the full ranking of 398 places →

More education data for UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa

All data for UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa →

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 48.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 126.5% in 1997.
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 43.7% in 2012.
How does UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education?
UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa ranks 27th out of 214 groups with data for 2023.
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 6.6%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-pupils-enrolled-in-lower-secondary-general-education-who-are-at-least-2-7/unicef-eastern-and-southern-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, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
398 places, 6,552 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release