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 17.73 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
School age population, one year before the official primary entry in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, school age population, one year before the official primary entry in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) stood at 17.73 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 17.5% 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 17.73 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.73 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
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.73 million | — |
| 1971 | 4.86 million | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 5.00 million | +2.8% |
| 1973 | 5.14 million | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 5.29 million | +3.0% |
| 1975 | 5.44 million | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 5.58 million | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 5.73 million | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 5.89 million | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 6.06 million | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 6.24 million | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 6.41 million | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 6.60 million | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 6.80 million | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 6.99 million | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 7.21 million | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 7.38 million | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 7.59 million | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 7.80 million | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 8.00 million | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 8.18 million | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 8.39 million | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 8.58 million | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 8.79 million | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 9.00 million | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 9.21 million | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 9.40 million | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 9.62 million | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 9.87 million | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 10.12 million | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 10.38 million | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 10.64 million | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 10.94 million | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 11.19 million | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 11.45 million | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 11.79 million | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 12.16 million | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 12.47 million | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 12.80 million | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 13.13 million | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 13.50 million | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 13.91 million | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 14.32 million | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 14.72 million | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 15.09 million | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 15.47 million | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 15.78 million | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 16.10 million | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 16.37 million | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 16.61 million | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 16.89 million | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 17.15 million | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 17.37 million | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 17.64 million | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 17.73 million | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.37 million | 4.73 million | 6.06 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.10 million | 6.24 million | 8.00 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.12 million | 8.18 million | 10.12 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.70 million | 10.38 million | 13.13 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.19 million | 13.50 million | 16.61 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.36 million | 16.89 million | 17.73 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
- 35 Germany 411,591 compare
- 36 Côte d'Ivoire 400,893 compare
- 37 Colombia 396,365 compare
- 38 Mali 391,617 compare
- 39 Uzbekistan 387,887 compare
- 40 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 386,095 compare
- 41 France 378,750 compare
More education data for ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.89 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.53 million (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)
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 17.73 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 17.73 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 4.73 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 17.5%. 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, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release