School age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: West and Central Africa
UNICEF: West and Central Africa: School age population, early childhood educational development was 30.10 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
School age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, 1998–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
UNICEF: West and Central Africa recorded 30.10 million for school age population, early childhood educational development in 2024. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: West and Central Africa peaked at 30.10 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 19.93 million, in 1999.
UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 52nd of 187 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
School age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 19.97 million | — |
| 1999 | 19.93 million | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 20.42 million | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 20.70 million | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 21.33 million | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 22.02 million | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 21.69 million | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 28.73 million | +32.5% |
| 2016 | 29.16 million | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 29.48 million | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 29.67 million | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 29.74 million | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 29.69 million | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 29.61 million | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 29.54 million | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 29.62 million | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 30.10 million | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.95 million | 19.93 million | 19.97 million | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.23 million | 20.42 million | 22.02 million | 5 |
| 2010s | 29.36 million | 28.73 million | 29.74 million | 5 |
| 2020s | 29.71 million | 29.54 million | 30.10 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: West and Central Africa
More education data for UNICEF: West and Central Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.92 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 20.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.9224 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 22.91 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.5411 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 8.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.9535 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.20 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.46 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.73 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- School age population, early childhood educational development in UNICEF: West and Central Africa was 30.10 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, early childhood educational development recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 30.10 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, early childhood educational development recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.93 million in 1999.
- How does UNICEF: West and Central Africa rank for school age population, early childhood educational development?
- UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 52nd out of 187 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, early childhood educational development rising or falling in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: West and Central 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 — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release