Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104): Population of compulsory school age, both sexes was 32.60 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
32.60 million
Change on year
up 1.0%
Rank
178th
of 221 groups
All-time high
32.60 million
in 2024
All-time low
19.17 million
in 1997
Years of data
28
1997–2024
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), 1997–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) recorded 32.60 million for population of compulsory school age, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 36.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) peaked at 32.60 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 19.17 million, in 1997.
That places ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) 178th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 19.17 million | — |
| 1998 | 19.17 million | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 19.34 million | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 19.40 million | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 19.47 million | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 19.48 million | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 19.55 million | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 19.73 million | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 19.79 million | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 19.87 million | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 21.06 million | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 21.22 million | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 21.43 million | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 22.18 million | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 22.51 million | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 22.87 million | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 23.35 million | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 23.90 million | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 24.46 million | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 28.05 million | +14.7% |
| 2017 | 28.77 million | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 29.54 million | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 30.28 million | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 30.95 million | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 31.50 million | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 31.91 million | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 32.29 million | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 32.60 million | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.23 million | 19.17 million | 19.34 million | 3 |
| 2000s | 20.10 million | 19.40 million | 21.43 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.59 million | 22.18 million | 30.28 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.85 million | 30.95 million | 32.60 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- 175 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18,224 compare
- 176 Aruba 16,691 compare
- 177 Antigua and Barbuda 12,417 compare
- 178 Marshall Islands 11,636 compare
- 179 Dominica 9,905 compare
- 180 Cayman Islands 9,350 compare
- 181 Bermuda 8,111 compare
More education data for ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.6859 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 7.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 7.02 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8034 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 875,127 (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14.16 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.52 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) was 32.60 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The highest recorded value was 32.60 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.17 million in 1997.
- How does ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) rank for population of compulsory school age, both sexes?
- ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 178th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is population of compulsory school age, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release