School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104): School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes was 16.95 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
16.95 million
Change on year
up 1.6%
Rank
148th
of 221 groups
All-time high
16.95 million
in 2024
All-time low
3.35 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) recorded 16.95 million for school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 30.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) peaked at 16.95 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.35 million, in 1970.
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 148th of 221 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.35 million | — |
| 1971 | 3.44 million | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 3.55 million | +3.3% |
| 1973 | 3.67 million | +3.3% |
| 1974 | 3.79 million | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 3.90 million | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 4.01 million | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 4.13 million | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 4.27 million | +3.4% |
| 1979 | 4.43 million | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 4.57 million | +3.3% |
| 1981 | 4.69 million | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 4.83 million | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 4.59 million | -5.1% |
| 1984 | 4.74 million | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 4.91 million | +3.6% |
| 1986 | 5.07 million | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 5.60 million | +10.6% |
| 1988 | 5.77 million | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 5.95 million | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 6.12 million | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 6.28 million | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 6.39 million | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 6.48 million | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 6.53 million | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 6.61 million | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 6.69 million | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 5.24 million | -21.7% |
| 1998 | 7.78 million | +48.4% |
| 1999 | 11.12 million | +43.1% |
| 2000 | 11.21 million | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 11.28 million | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 11.41 million | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 11.51 million | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 11.62 million | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 11.76 million | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 11.91 million | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 10.73 million | -9.8% |
| 2008 | 10.98 million | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 11.29 million | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 11.65 million | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 12.01 million | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 12.42 million | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 12.75 million | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 13.02 million | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 13.27 million | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 13.44 million | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 15.66 million | +16.5% |
| 2018 | 15.85 million | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 15.95 million | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 16.00 million | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 16.11 million | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 16.32 million | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 16.68 million | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 16.95 million | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.85 million | 3.35 million | 4.43 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.07 million | 4.57 million | 5.95 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.92 million | 5.24 million | 11.12 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.37 million | 10.73 million | 11.91 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.60 million | 11.65 million | 15.95 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.41 million | 16.00 million | 16.95 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
More education data for ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8034 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.24 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 2.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.01 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 7.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 2.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 7.02 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.8 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 17.47 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) was 16.95 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The highest recorded value was 16.95 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.35 million in 1970.
- How does ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) rank for school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes?
- ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 148th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release