Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education was 19.0% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
19.0%
Change on year
up 0.8%
Rank
8th
of 9 groups
All-time high
19.0%
in 2019
All-time low
15.6%
in 2000
Years of data
20
2000–2019

Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2000–2019

051015202000200920192000: 15.6 %2001: 15.8 %2002: 15.9 %2003: 16.1 %2004: 16.2 %2005: 16.5 %2006: 16.7 %2007: 16.9 %2008: 17.1 %2009: 17.4 %2010: 17.5 %2011: 17.7 %2012: 17.9 %2013: 18.1 %2014: 18.2 %2015: 18.4 %2016: 18.5 %2017: 18.7 %2018: 18.8 %2019: 19 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa is 19.0%, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 20 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 9.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 19.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 15.6%, in 2000.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.

Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education prepared for the future in reading, both sexes (%) in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2000 to 2019.
Year % Change
2000 15.6%
2001 15.8% +1.0%
2002 15.9% +0.7%
2003 16.1% +1.1%
2004 16.2% +1.1%
2005 16.5% +1.5%
2006 16.7% +1.4%
2007 16.9% +1.4%
2008 17.1% +1.1%
2009 17.4% +1.3%
2010 17.5% +1.1%
2011 17.7% +1.0%
2012 17.9% +1.0%
2013 18.1% +1.0%
2014 18.2% +0.8%
2015 18.4% +0.8%
2016 18.5% +0.9%
2017 18.7% +0.7%
2018 18.8% +0.9%
2019 19.0% +0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 16.4% 15.6% 17.4% 10
2010s 18.3% 17.5% 19.0% 10

Countries ranked near SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

  1. 5 Netherlands 96.2% compare
  2. 6 Sweden 95.2% compare
  3. 7 United States 94.4% compare
  4. 8 Slovenia 93.9% compare
  5. 9 Slovakia 93.5% compare
  6. 10 Hungary 93.3% compare
  7. 11 Bulgaria 92.0% compare

See the full ranking of 22 places →

More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

All data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 19.0% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 19.0% in 2019.
What is the lowest proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 15.6% in 2000.
How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education?
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 8th out of 9 groups with data for 2019.
Is proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this SDG: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education prepared for the future in reading, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-children-young-people-at-the-age-of-primary-education-prepared-for-the-2/sdg-sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of children/young people at the age of primary education prepared for the future in reading, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
22 places, 245 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release