School age population, one year before the official primary entry in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)

ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126): School age population, one year before the official primary entry was 35.10 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
35.10 million
Change on year
up 0.5%
Rank
38th
of 221 groups
All-time high
35.10 million
in 2024
All-time low
9.45 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024

School age population, one year before the official primary entry in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), 1970–2024

10.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M197019972024

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for school age population, one year before the official primary entry in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) is 35.10 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 17.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, one year before the official primary entry in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) peaked at 35.10 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.45 million, in 1970.

ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) ranks 38th of 221 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.

School age population, one year before the official primary entry in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), year by year

Annual values for School age population, one year before the official primary entry age, both sexes (number) in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), 1970 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1970 9.45 million
1971 9.70 million +2.6%
1972 9.97 million +2.8%
1973 10.24 million +2.8%
1974 10.55 million +3.0%
1975 10.84 million +2.8%
1976 11.13 million +2.6%
1977 11.43 million +2.7%
1978 11.73 million +2.7%
1979 12.07 million +2.9%
1980 12.42 million +2.8%
1981 12.75 million +2.7%
1982 13.13 million +3.0%
1983 13.52 million +3.0%
1984 13.91 million +2.9%
1985 14.34 million +3.0%
1986 14.68 million +2.4%
1987 15.08 million +2.7%
1988 15.49 million +2.7%
1989 15.89 million +2.6%
1990 16.25 million +2.3%
1991 16.66 million +2.5%
1992 17.05 million +2.3%
1993 17.46 million +2.4%
1994 17.86 million +2.3%
1995 18.29 million +2.4%
1996 18.66 million +2.0%
1997 19.09 million +2.3%
1998 19.58 million +2.6%
1999 20.09 million +2.6%
2000 20.59 million +2.5%
2001 21.12 million +2.5%
2002 21.72 million +2.8%
2003 22.21 million +2.3%
2004 22.72 million +2.3%
2005 23.40 million +3.0%
2006 24.12 million +3.1%
2007 24.75 million +2.6%
2008 25.41 million +2.7%
2009 26.06 million +2.6%
2010 26.78 million +2.8%
2011 27.60 million +3.1%
2012 28.39 million +2.9%
2013 29.18 million +2.8%
2014 29.90 million +2.5%
2015 30.65 million +2.5%
2016 31.25 million +2.0%
2017 31.88 million +2.0%
2018 32.41 million +1.7%
2019 32.90 million +1.5%
2020 33.46 million +1.7%
2021 33.95 million +1.5%
2022 34.38 million +1.3%
2023 34.92 million +1.6%
2024 35.10 million +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 10.71 million 9.45 million 12.07 million 10
1980s 14.12 million 12.42 million 15.89 million 10
1990s 18.10 million 16.25 million 20.09 million 10
2000s 23.21 million 20.59 million 26.06 million 10
2010s 30.09 million 26.78 million 32.90 million 10
2020s 34.36 million 33.46 million 35.10 million 5

Countries ranked near ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)

  1. 35 Germany 803,981 compare
  2. 36 Côte d'Ivoire 787,449 compare
  3. 37 Mali 774,873 compare
  4. 38 Colombia 773,073 compare
  5. 39 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 754,391 compare
  6. 40 France 739,795 compare
  7. 41 Uzbekistan 739,006 compare

See the full ranking of 443 places →

More education data for ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)

All data for ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, one year before the official primary entry in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
School age population, one year before the official primary entry in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) was 35.10 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, one year before the official primary entry recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
The highest recorded value was 35.10 million in 2024.
What is the lowest school age population, one year before the official primary entry recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
The lowest recorded value was 9.45 million in 1970.
How does ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) rank for school age population, one year before the official primary entry?
ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) ranks 38th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
Is school age population, one year before the official primary entry rising or falling in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.4%. 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, one year before the official primary entry age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, one year before the official primary entry in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-one-year-before-the-official-primary-entry-age-both-sexes-number/eca-sub-saharan-africa-unsdcode-98126/

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About this data

Indicator
School age population, one year before the official primary entry age, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
443 places, 20,766 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release