School age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: Africa
UNICEF: Africa: School age population, early childhood educational development was 35.98 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
School age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: Africa, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: Africa is 35.98 million, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: Africa peaked at 36.46 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 25.48 million, in 1998.
That places UNICEF: Africa 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 11 years of available data.
School age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 25.48 million | — |
| 2015 | 34.57 million | +35.7% |
| 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.48 million | 25.48 million | 25.48 million | 1 |
| 2010s | 35.91 million | 34.57 million | 36.41 million | 5 |
| 2020s | 35.99 million | 35.50 million | 36.46 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: Africa
More education data for UNICEF: Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 1.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 9.98 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 2.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 9.24 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.94 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.29 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.8094 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 92.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: Africa?
- School age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: Africa 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 UNICEF: Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 36.46 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest school age population, early childhood educational development recorded in UNICEF: Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.48 million in 1998.
- How does UNICEF: Africa rank for school age population, early childhood educational development?
- UNICEF: Africa ranks 18th out of 187 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, early childhood educational development rising or falling in UNICEF: Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Africa 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release