Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income)
WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income): Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both was 34.57 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
34.57 million
Change on year
up 0.6%
Rank
37th
of 221 groups
All-time high
34.57 million
in 2024
All-time low
9.08 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income) stood at 34.57 million. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income) peaked at 34.57 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.08 million, in 1970.
WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income) ranks 37th of 221 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 9.08 million | — |
| 1971 | 9.32 million | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 9.56 million | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 9.83 million | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 10.11 million | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 10.42 million | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 10.71 million | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 10.99 million | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 11.28 million | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 11.61 million | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 11.94 million | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 12.25 million | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 12.61 million | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 12.99 million | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 13.37 million | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 13.79 million | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 14.18 million | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 14.54 million | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 14.94 million | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 15.35 million | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 15.76 million | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 16.11 million | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 16.49 million | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 16.93 million | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 17.29 million | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 17.75 million | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 18.15 million | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 18.54 million | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 18.95 million | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 19.46 million | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 19.97 million | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 20.48 million | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 21.01 million | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 21.61 million | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 22.13 million | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 22.63 million | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 23.31 million | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 24.04 million | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 24.67 million | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 25.32 million | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 25.99 million | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 26.70 million | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 27.51 million | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 28.38 million | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 29.10 million | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 29.86 million | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 30.61 million | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 31.22 million | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 31.84 million | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 32.38 million | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 32.86 million | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 33.42 million | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 33.92 million | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 34.37 million | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 34.57 million | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.29 million | 9.08 million | 11.61 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.60 million | 11.94 million | 15.35 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.54 million | 15.76 million | 19.46 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.52 million | 19.97 million | 25.32 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.36 million | 25.99 million | 32.38 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.83 million | 32.86 million | 34.57 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income)
More education data for WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.08 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.36 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 10.53 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.34 % change on previous year (2021)
All data for WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income)?
- Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income) was 34.57 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of the official entrance age to primary education, both recorded in WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income)?
- The highest recorded value was 34.57 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest population of the official entrance age to primary education, both recorded in WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.08 million in 1970.
- How does WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income) rank for population of the official entrance age to primary education, both?
- WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income) ranks 37th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is population of the official entrance age to primary education, both rising or falling in WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Sub-saharan Africa (excluding High Income) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release