School age population, early childhood education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104): School age population, early childhood education, both sexes was 20.93 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
School age population, early childhood education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), 1997–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) recorded 20.93 million for school age population, early childhood education, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and up 25.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, early childhood education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) peaked at 20.93 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.70 million, in 1997.
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 134th of 194 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
School age population, early childhood education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 8.70 million | — |
| 1998 | 11.23 million | +29.1% |
| 1999 | 15.41 million | +37.2% |
| 2000 | 15.45 million | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 15.47 million | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 14.49 million | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 14.55 million | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 14.67 million | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 14.88 million | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 15.14 million | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 14.08 million | -7.0% |
| 2008 | 14.41 million | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 14.85 million | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 15.37 million | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 15.74 million | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 16.12 million | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 16.47 million | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 16.75 million | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 17.07 million | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 17.29 million | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 19.47 million | +12.6% |
| 2018 | 19.57 million | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 19.67 million | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 19.78 million | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 19.99 million | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 20.34 million | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 20.69 million | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 20.93 million | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.78 million | 8.70 million | 15.41 million | 3 |
| 2000s | 14.80 million | 14.08 million | 15.47 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.35 million | 15.37 million | 19.67 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.35 million | 19.78 million | 20.93 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
More education data for ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 7.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 0.2683 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.24 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 7.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.6859 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14.16 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, early childhood education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- School age population, early childhood education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) was 20.93 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, early childhood education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The highest recorded value was 20.93 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, early childhood education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.70 million in 1997.
- How does ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) rank for school age population, early childhood education, both sexes?
- ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 134th out of 194 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, early childhood education, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, early childhood education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release