School age population, early childhood educational development in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)

ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405): School age population, early childhood educational development was 35.98 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
35.98 million
Change on year
up 1.2%
Rank
18th
of 187 groups
All-time high
36.46 million
in 2021
All-time low
25.48 million
in 1998
Years of data
27
1998–2024

School age population, early childhood educational development in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405), 1998–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M1998201120241998: 25.5M1999: 26.3M2000: 26.7M2001: 26.9M2002: 26.5M2003: 27.1M2004: 26.8M2005: 27.6M2006: 28.3M2007: 29.1M2008: 29.8M2009: 30.6M2010: 31.4M2011: 32.1M2012: 32.8M2013: 33.4M2014: 34.0M2015: 34.6M2016: 36.0M2017: 36.2M2018: 36.3M2019: 36.4M2020: 36.4M2021: 36.5M2022: 35.5M2023: 35.6M2024: 36.0M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) recorded 35.98 million for school age population, early childhood educational development in 2024.

The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 5.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, early childhood educational development in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) peaked at 36.46 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 25.48 million, in 1998.

That places ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) 18th out of 187 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

School age population, early childhood educational development in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405), year by year

Annual values for School age population, early childhood educational development programmes, both sexes (number) in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405), 1998 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1998 25.48 million
1999 26.26 million +3.1%
2000 26.70 million +1.7%
2001 26.94 million +0.9%
2002 26.46 million -1.8%
2003 27.11 million +2.4%
2004 26.79 million -1.2%
2005 27.56 million +2.9%
2006 28.31 million +2.7%
2007 29.08 million +2.7%
2008 29.81 million +2.5%
2009 30.58 million +2.6%
2010 31.41 million +2.7%
2011 32.07 million +2.1%
2012 32.78 million +2.2%
2013 33.44 million +2.0%
2014 34.02 million +1.7%
2015 34.57 million +1.6%
2016 35.96 million +4.0%
2017 36.24 million +0.8%
2018 36.35 million +0.3%
2019 36.41 million +0.2%
2020 36.44 million +0.1%
2021 36.46 million +0.1%
2022 35.50 million -2.6%
2023 35.56 million +0.2%
2024 35.98 million +1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25.87 million 25.48 million 26.26 million 2
2000s 27.93 million 26.46 million 30.58 million 10
2010s 34.32 million 31.41 million 36.41 million 10
2020s 35.99 million 35.50 million 36.46 million 5

Countries ranked near ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)

  1. 15 Japan 2.12 million compare
  2. 16 United Kingdom 2.09 million compare
  3. 17 Morocco 1.87 million compare
  4. 18 Peru 1.60 million compare
  5. 19 Argentina 1.49 million compare
  6. 20 Guatemala 1.48 million compare
  7. 21 Thailand 1.36 million compare

See the full ranking of 291 places →

More education data for ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)

All data for ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, early childhood educational development in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)?
School age population, early childhood educational development in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) was 35.98 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, early childhood educational development recorded in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)?
The highest recorded value was 36.46 million in 2021.
What is the lowest school age population, early childhood educational development recorded in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)?
The lowest recorded value was 25.48 million in 1998.
How does ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) rank for school age population, early childhood educational development?
ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) ranks 18th out of 187 groups with data for 2024.
Is school age population, early childhood educational development rising or falling in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405)?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405) data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, early childhood educational development programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, early childhood educational development in ESCAP: Africa (afr) (unsdcode:98405). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-early-childhood-educational-development-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/escap-africa-afr-unsdcode-98405/

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About this data

Indicator
School age population, early childhood educational development programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
291 places, 5,922 data points, 1972–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release