School age population, one year before the official primary entry in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa
MDG: Sub-saharan Africa: School age population, one year before the official primary entry was 17.44 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
17.44 million
Change on year
up 0.5%
Rank
29th
of 221 groups
All-time high
17.44 million
in 2024
All-time low
4.73 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, one year before the official primary entry in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, school age population, one year before the official primary entry in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 17.44 million. 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 17.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, one year before the official primary entry in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 17.44 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.73 million, in 1970.
That places MDG: Sub-saharan Africa 29th 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, one year before the official primary entry in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.73 million | — |
| 1971 | 4.85 million | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 4.99 million | +2.8% |
| 1973 | 5.13 million | +2.7% |
| 1974 | 5.28 million | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 5.42 million | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 5.56 million | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 5.71 million | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 5.87 million | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 6.03 million | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 6.20 million | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 6.37 million | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 6.56 million | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 6.75 million | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 6.95 million | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 7.16 million | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 7.33 million | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 7.52 million | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 7.72 million | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 7.92 million | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 8.10 million | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 8.31 million | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 8.50 million | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 8.70 million | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 8.90 million | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 9.11 million | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 9.30 million | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 9.51 million | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 9.76 million | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 10.01 million | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 10.26 million | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 10.52 million | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 10.82 million | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 11.06 million | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 11.31 million | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 11.65 million | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 12.01 million | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 12.32 million | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 12.65 million | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 12.97 million | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 13.33 million | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 13.73 million | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 14.13 million | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 14.52 million | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 14.87 million | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 15.24 million | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 15.54 million | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 15.84 million | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 16.11 million | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 16.36 million | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 16.63 million | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 16.87 million | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 17.09 million | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 17.35 million | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 17.44 million | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.36 million | 4.73 million | 6.03 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.05 million | 6.20 million | 7.92 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.02 million | 8.10 million | 10.01 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.56 million | 10.26 million | 12.97 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.97 million | 13.33 million | 16.36 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.08 million | 16.63 million | 17.44 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near MDG: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for MDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.42 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.60 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, one year before the official primary entry in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- School age population, one year before the official primary entry in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 17.44 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 MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 17.44 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, one year before the official primary entry recorded in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.73 million in 1970.
- How does MDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for school age population, one year before the official primary entry?
- MDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 29th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, one year before the official primary entry rising or falling in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.3%. 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, one year before the official primary entry age, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release