Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa: Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female was 17.12 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
17.12 million
Change on year
up 0.6%
Rank
29th
of 221 groups
All-time high
17.12 million
in 2024
All-time low
4.54 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 17.12 million for population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in 2024. 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 18.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 17.12 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.54 million, in 1970.
UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 29th 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, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.54 million | — |
| 1971 | 4.65 million | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 4.77 million | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 4.91 million | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 5.05 million | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 5.19 million | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 5.34 million | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 5.48 million | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 5.62 million | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 5.79 million | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 5.95 million | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 6.10 million | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 6.28 million | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 6.47 million | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 6.66 million | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 6.87 million | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 7.06 million | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 7.23 million | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 7.43 million | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 7.63 million | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 7.83 million | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 8.01 million | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 8.20 million | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 8.42 million | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 8.59 million | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 8.82 million | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 9.02 million | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 9.21 million | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 9.42 million | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 9.67 million | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 9.92 million | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 10.17 million | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 10.43 million | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 10.73 million | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 10.99 million | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 11.24 million | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 11.57 million | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 11.93 million | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 12.25 million | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 12.57 million | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 12.90 million | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 13.25 million | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 13.65 million | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 14.07 million | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 14.43 million | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 14.80 million | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 15.17 million | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 15.47 million | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 15.77 million | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 16.04 million | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 16.28 million | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 16.56 million | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 16.80 million | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 17.02 million | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 17.12 million | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.13 million | 4.54 million | 5.79 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.77 million | 5.95 million | 7.63 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.72 million | 7.83 million | 9.67 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.18 million | 9.92 million | 12.57 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.55 million | 12.90 million | 16.04 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.75 million | 16.28 million | 17.12 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.42 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.60 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa was 17.12 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of the official entrance age to primary education, female recorded in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 17.12 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest population of the official entrance age to primary education, female recorded in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.54 million in 1970.
- How does UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa rank for population of the official entrance age to primary education, female?
- UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 29th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is population of the official entrance age to primary education, female rising or falling in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release