School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104): School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes was 11.96 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
11.96 million
Change on year
up 1.1%
Rank
178th
of 221 groups
All-time high
11.96 million
in 2024
All-time low
3.58 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) recorded 11.96 million for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 28.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) peaked at 11.96 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.58 million, in 1970.
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 178th of 221 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.58 million | — |
| 1971 | 3.68 million | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 3.81 million | +3.4% |
| 1973 | 3.93 million | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 4.04 million | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 4.19 million | +3.6% |
| 1976 | 4.31 million | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 4.44 million | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 4.57 million | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 4.70 million | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 4.86 million | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 5.09 million | +4.6% |
| 1982 | 4.97 million | -2.3% |
| 1983 | 5.08 million | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 5.22 million | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 5.21 million | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 5.38 million | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 5.51 million | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 5.64 million | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 5.76 million | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 5.90 million | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 6.03 million | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 6.18 million | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 6.39 million | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 6.58 million | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 6.94 million | +5.6% |
| 1996 | 7.30 million | +5.1% |
| 1997 | 6.50 million | -10.9% |
| 1998 | 7.19 million | +10.7% |
| 1999 | 7.92 million | +10.2% |
| 2000 | 8.11 million | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 8.22 million | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 8.30 million | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 8.40 million | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 8.51 million | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 8.59 million | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 8.71 million | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 8.26 million | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 8.35 million | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 8.42 million | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 8.56 million | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 8.76 million | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 8.90 million | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 9.07 million | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 9.29 million | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 10.13 million | +9.1% |
| 2016 | 10.35 million | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 10.55 million | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 10.84 million | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 11.17 million | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 11.52 million | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 11.14 million | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 11.49 million | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 11.83 million | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 11.96 million | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.13 million | 3.58 million | 4.70 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.27 million | 4.86 million | 5.76 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.69 million | 5.90 million | 7.92 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.39 million | 8.11 million | 8.71 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.76 million | 8.56 million | 11.17 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.59 million | 11.14 million | 11.96 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- 175 Guadeloupe 17,935 compare
- 176 Sao Tome and Principe 16,876 compare
- 177 New Caledonia 16,822 compare
- 178 French Polynesia 16,773 compare
- 179 Bahamas 15,949 compare
- 180 Iceland 15,135 compare
- 181 Martinique 14,710 compare
More education data for ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8034 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.24 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 7.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 7.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.8 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 17.47 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) was 11.96 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The highest recorded value was 11.96 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.58 million in 1970.
- How does ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 178th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release