Primary education, pupils, per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Primary education, pupils, per capita was 0.1526 units per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
Primary education, pupils, per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 0.1526 units per person for primary education, pupils, per capita in 2024.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils, per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 0.1609 units per person in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.0922 units per person, in 1971.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 7th out of 45 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Primary education, pupils, per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.0946 units per person | — |
| 1971 | 0.0922 units per person | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 0.0943 units per person | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 0.0963 units per person | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 0.0999 units per person | +3.8% |
| 1975 | 0.1021 units per person | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 0.104 units per person | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 0.1092 units per person | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 0.1152 units per person | +5.4% |
| 1979 | 0.1224 units per person | +6.3% |
| 1980 | 0.1274 units per person | +4.1% |
| 1981 | 0.1314 units per person | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 0.1345 units per person | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 0.1342 units per person | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 0.1326 units per person | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 0.1286 units per person | -3.0% |
| 1986 | 0.1243 units per person | -3.4% |
| 1987 | 0.1223 units per person | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 0.1207 units per person | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 0.1219 units per person | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 0.1204 units per person | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 0.1219 units per person | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 0.1215 units per person | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 0.1239 units per person | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 0.1239 units per person | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.1247 units per person | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 0.1211 units per person | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 0.1268 units per person | +4.7% |
| 1998 | 0.129 units per person | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 0.1294 units per person | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 0.1329 units per person | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 0.1357 units per person | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 0.139 units per person | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 0.1429 units per person | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 0.146 units per person | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 0.1495 units per person | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 0.1521 units per person | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 0.1545 units per person | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 0.1564 units per person | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 0.1569 units per person | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 0.1565 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 0.1586 units per person | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 0.1598 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 0.1603 units per person | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 0.1595 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 0.1571 units per person | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 0.1576 units per person | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 0.1585 units per person | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 0.1595 units per person | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 0.1605 units per person | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 0.1609 units per person | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 0.1586 units per person | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 0.1556 units per person | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 0.1548 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 0.1526 units per person | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.103 units per person | 0.0922 units per person | 0.1224 units per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1278 units per person | 0.1207 units per person | 0.1345 units per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1243 units per person | 0.1204 units per person | 0.1294 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1466 units per person | 0.1329 units per person | 0.1569 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1588 units per person | 0.1565 units per person | 0.1605 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1565 units per person | 0.1526 units per person | 0.1609 units per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 4 Uganda 0.22 units per person compare
- 5 Malawi 0.2193 units per person compare
- 6 Rwanda 0.2109 units per person compare
- 7 Zambia 0.2106 units per person compare
- 8 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.1999 units per person compare
- 9 Togo 0.1972 units per person compare
- 10 Namibia 0.1947 units per person compare
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 97.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per capita 0.004 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils, per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Primary education, pupils, per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa was 0.1526 units per person in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils, per capita recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1609 units per person in 2020.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils, per capita recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0922 units per person in 1971.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for primary education, pupils, per capita?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 7th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, pupils, per capita rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Primary education, pupils, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Primary education, pupils divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Primary education, pupils ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Primary education, pupils Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Primary education, pupils divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.