Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex was 21.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2005–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Sub-Saharan Africa is 21.6%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 22.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 19.3%, in 2009.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 12th out of 39 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 19.6% | — |
| 2006 | 19.5% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 19.4% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 19.3% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 19.3% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 19.4% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 19.3% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 19.5% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 19.4% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 19.9% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 20.2% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 20.7% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 21.0% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 21.4% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 21.8% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 22.2% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 21.9% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 21.6% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 21.4% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 21.5% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 21.6% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19.4% | 19.3% | 19.6% | 5 |
| 2010s | 20.3% | 19.3% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.7% | 21.4% | 22.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.43 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex in Sub-Saharan Africa was 21.6% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 22.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.3% in 2009.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 12th out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex and age - 13th ICLS (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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