School age population, early childhood education, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa: School age population, early childhood education, both sexes was 122.49 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
School age population, early childhood education, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, 1997–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, school age population, early childhood education, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 122.49 million. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, early childhood education, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 122.49 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 74.76 million, in 1997.
UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 20th of 194 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
School age population, early childhood education, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 74.76 million | — |
| 1998 | 79.41 million | +6.2% |
| 1999 | 77.13 million | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 78.86 million | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 80.40 million | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 81.26 million | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 83.21 million | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 84.35 million | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 109.44 million | +29.7% |
| 2016 | 112.31 million | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 115.30 million | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 116.71 million | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 118.04 million | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 118.03 million | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 119.42 million | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 119.86 million | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 121.52 million | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 122.49 million | +0.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School age population, early childhood education, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +29.7% | 84.35 million | 109.44 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 77.10 million | 74.76 million | 79.41 million | 3 |
| 2000s | 81.61 million | 78.86 million | 84.35 million | 5 |
| 2010s | 114.36 million | 109.44 million | 118.04 million | 5 |
| 2020s | 120.26 million | 118.03 million | 122.49 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.42 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.60 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, early childhood education, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- School age population, early childhood education, both sexes in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa was 122.49 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, early childhood education, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 122.49 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, early childhood education, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 74.76 million in 1997.
- How does UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa rank for school age population, early childhood education, both sexes?
- UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 20th out of 194 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, early childhood education, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release