School age population, early childhood educational development in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa

MDG: Sub-saharan Africa: School age population, early childhood educational development was 16.84 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
16.84 million
Change on year
up 1.3%
Rank
25th
of 187 groups
All-time high
17.07 million
in 2021
All-time low
11.58 million
in 1998
Years of data
27
1998–2024

School age population, early childhood educational development in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1998–2024

05.0M10.0M15.0M1998201120241998: 11.6M1999: 12.0M2000: 12.2M2001: 12.3M2002: 12.1M2003: 12.4M2004: 12.2M2005: 12.6M2006: 13.0M2007: 13.3M2008: 13.7M2009: 14.1M2010: 14.5M2011: 14.8M2012: 15.2M2013: 15.5M2014: 15.8M2015: 16.1M2016: 16.8M2017: 16.9M2018: 17.0M2019: 17.0M2020: 17.0M2021: 17.1M2022: 16.6M2023: 16.6M2024: 16.8M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

MDG: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 16.84 million for school age population, early childhood educational development in 2024.

The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, early childhood educational development in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 17.07 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 11.58 million, in 1998.

That places MDG: Sub-saharan Africa 25th out of 187 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

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

School age population, early childhood educational development in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for School age population, early childhood educational development programmes, female (number) in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1998 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1998 11.58 million
1999 11.96 million +3.3%
2000 12.18 million +1.8%
2001 12.30 million +1.0%
2002 12.05 million -2.0%
2003 12.37 million +2.7%
2004 12.22 million -1.3%
2005 12.60 million +3.1%
2006 12.97 million +3.0%
2007 13.35 million +2.9%
2008 13.71 million +2.7%
2009 14.09 million +2.8%
2010 14.50 million +2.9%
2011 14.83 million +2.2%
2012 15.18 million +2.4%
2013 15.51 million +2.2%
2014 15.80 million +1.9%
2015 16.09 million +1.8%
2016 16.79 million +4.4%
2017 16.94 million +0.9%
2018 17.00 million +0.4%
2019 17.03 million +0.2%
2020 17.05 million +0.1%
2021 17.07 million +0.1%
2022 16.61 million -2.7%
2023 16.63 million +0.2%
2024 16.84 million +1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.77 million 11.58 million 11.96 million 2
2000s 12.78 million 12.05 million 14.09 million 10
2010s 15.97 million 14.50 million 17.03 million 10
2020s 16.84 million 16.61 million 17.07 million 5

Countries ranked near MDG: Sub-saharan Africa

  1. 22 Canada 534,941 compare
  2. 23 Cambodia 519,449 compare
  3. 24 Senegal 518,565 compare
  4. 25 Rwanda 507,836 compare
  5. 26 Spain 490,837 compare
  6. 27 Australia 437,562 compare
  7. 28 Venezuela 403,213 compare

See the full ranking of 291 places →

More education data for MDG: Sub-saharan Africa

All data for MDG: Sub-saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, early childhood educational development in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
School age population, early childhood educational development in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 16.84 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, early childhood educational development recorded in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 17.07 million in 2021.
What is the lowest school age population, early childhood educational development recorded in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 11.58 million in 1998.
How does MDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for school age population, early childhood educational development?
MDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 25th out of 187 groups with data for 2024.
Is school age population, early childhood educational development rising or falling in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this MDG: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, early childhood educational development programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, early childhood educational development in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-early-childhood-educational-development-programmes-female-number-2/mdg-sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
School age population, early childhood educational development programmes, female (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