Primary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Primary education, pupils was 196.80 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Primary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 196.80 million for primary education, pupils in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 23.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 196.80 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 27.82 million, in 1970.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 10th of 45 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 34.66 million | 27.82 million | 46.34 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 56.93 million | 49.66 million | 61.75 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 73.40 million | 62.73 million | 85.79 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 113.57 million | 90.49 million | 136.45 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 160.90 million | 139.94 million | 182.67 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 192.18 million | 187.97 million | 196.80 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 7 Democratic Republic of Congo 21.15 million compare
- 8 Bangladesh 16.69 million compare
- 9 Ethiopia 15.93 million compare
- 10 Egypt 15.40 million compare
- 11 Brazil 15.11 million compare
- 12 Mexico 13.19 million compare
- 13 Philippines 13.06 million compare
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 97.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 5.14 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 96.0% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 98.2% (2024)
- Labor force, female 46.9% (2025)
- Labor force, total 526.96 million (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index 0.9577 GPI (2020)
- School enrollment, secondary 45.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Primary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa was 196.80 million in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 196.80 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.82 million in 1970.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for primary education, pupils?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 10th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.