School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126): School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes was 95.91 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
95.91 million
Change on year
up 0.8%
Rank
48th
of 221 groups
All-time high
95.91 million
in 2024
All-time low
23.06 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) is 95.91 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 32.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) peaked at 95.91 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 23.06 million, in 1970.
That places ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) 48th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 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: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 23.06 million | — |
| 1971 | 23.67 million | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 24.34 million | +2.8% |
| 1973 | 25.13 million | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 25.87 million | +3.0% |
| 1975 | 26.65 million | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 27.42 million | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 28.23 million | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 28.99 million | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 29.82 million | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 30.70 million | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 31.66 million | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 32.34 million | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 33.29 million | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 34.24 million | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 35.11 million | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 32.67 million | -7.0% |
| 1987 | 33.66 million | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 34.72 million | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 35.22 million | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 36.33 million | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 37.03 million | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 38.12 million | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 39.23 million | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 40.26 million | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 41.57 million | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 42.82 million | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 42.88 million | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 47.09 million | +9.8% |
| 1999 | 48.88 million | +3.8% |
| 2000 | 50.21 million | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 51.57 million | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 53.01 million | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 54.46 million | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 55.94 million | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 57.39 million | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 58.98 million | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 60.02 million | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 61.66 million | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 63.31 million | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 64.94 million | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 66.60 million | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 68.40 million | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 70.63 million | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 72.53 million | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 75.32 million | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 77.49 million | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 79.44 million | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 81.81 million | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 84.30 million | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 87.91 million | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 89.70 million | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 92.04 million | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 95.17 million | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 95.91 million | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26.32 million | 23.06 million | 29.82 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 33.36 million | 30.70 million | 35.22 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.42 million | 36.33 million | 48.88 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 56.66 million | 50.21 million | 63.31 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.15 million | 64.94 million | 84.30 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 92.14 million | 87.91 million | 95.91 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
More education data for ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 10.51 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.35 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.62 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) was 95.91 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- The highest recorded value was 95.91 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.06 million in 1970.
- How does ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) ranks 48th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) 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