School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa
UNICEF: West and Central Africa: School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes was 47.52 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
47.52 million
Change on year
up 1.0%
Rank
95th
of 221 groups
All-time high
47.52 million
in 2024
All-time low
12.20 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa is 47.52 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 33.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa peaked at 47.52 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.20 million, in 1970.
That places UNICEF: West and Central Africa 95th out of 221 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 12.20 million | — |
| 1971 | 12.55 million | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 12.91 million | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 13.28 million | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 13.71 million | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 14.14 million | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 14.59 million | +3.2% |
| 1977 | 15.04 million | +3.1% |
| 1978 | 15.45 million | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 15.91 million | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 16.39 million | +3.0% |
| 1981 | 16.90 million | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 17.43 million | +3.1% |
| 1983 | 17.99 million | +3.2% |
| 1984 | 18.50 million | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 19.11 million | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 16.20 million | -15.2% |
| 1987 | 16.77 million | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 17.40 million | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 18.02 million | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 18.67 million | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 18.93 million | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 19.59 million | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 20.20 million | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 20.74 million | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 21.34 million | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 21.99 million | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 22.60 million | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 23.19 million | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 23.75 million | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 24.32 million | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 24.94 million | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 25.60 million | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 26.28 million | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 26.98 million | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 27.69 million | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 28.44 million | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 29.21 million | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 30.16 million | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 30.96 million | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 31.72 million | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 32.44 million | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 33.35 million | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 34.43 million | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 35.57 million | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 36.75 million | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 37.89 million | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 39.06 million | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 40.31 million | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 41.66 million | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 43.01 million | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 44.38 million | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 45.73 million | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 47.07 million | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 47.52 million | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.98 million | 12.20 million | 15.91 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.47 million | 16.20 million | 19.11 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.10 million | 18.67 million | 23.75 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.46 million | 24.32 million | 30.96 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.32 million | 31.72 million | 41.66 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.54 million | 43.01 million | 47.52 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: West and Central Africa
- 92 Netherlands 582,734 compare
- 93 Belarus 571,955 compare
- 94 Dominican Republic 570,182 compare
- 95 Mauritania 514,847 compare
- 96 Chile 511,857 compare
- 97 Israel 505,902 compare
- 98 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 485,930 compare
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, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa was 47.52 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 47.52 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.20 million in 1970.
- How does UNICEF: West and Central Africa rank for school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes?
- UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 95th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, lower secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.6%. 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, lower secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release