School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)
ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105): School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes was 23.55 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
23.55 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
127th
of 221 groups
All-time high
23.55 million
in 2024
All-time low
8.74 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024
School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) is 23.55 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) peaked at 23.55 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.74 million, in 1970.
ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) ranks 127th 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: West Africa (unsdcode:98105), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 8.74 million | — |
| 1971 | 8.98 million | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 9.23 million | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 9.51 million | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 9.70 million | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 10.02 million | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 10.58 million | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 11.12 million | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 11.36 million | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 11.83 million | +4.1% |
| 1980 | 12.29 million | +3.9% |
| 1981 | 12.95 million | +5.4% |
| 1982 | 13.62 million | +5.1% |
| 1983 | 14.10 million | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 14.49 million | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 14.87 million | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 15.22 million | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 15.64 million | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 16.05 million | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 16.40 million | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 16.71 million | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 17.01 million | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 17.39 million | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 17.80 million | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 18.89 million | +6.1% |
| 1995 | 19.35 million | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 19.84 million | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 20.33 million | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 20.90 million | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 13.60 million | -34.9% |
| 2000 | 13.95 million | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 14.34 million | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 14.77 million | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 15.20 million | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 15.69 million | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 16.21 million | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 16.76 million | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 17.26 million | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 17.76 million | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 18.22 million | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 18.78 million | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 19.34 million | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 19.89 million | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 20.41 million | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 20.98 million | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 21.52 million | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 22.02 million | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 21.81 million | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 22.26 million | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 22.68 million | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 23.07 million | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 23.30 million | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 23.42 million | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 23.51 million | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 23.55 million | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.11 million | 8.74 million | 11.83 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.56 million | 12.29 million | 16.40 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.18 million | 13.60 million | 20.90 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.02 million | 13.95 million | 18.22 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.97 million | 18.78 million | 22.68 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.37 million | 23.07 million | 23.55 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)
More education data for ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.35 % change on previous year (2020)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 873,576 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 947,845 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.54 million (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 6.66 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.48 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 2.26 million (2020)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.42 % change on previous year (2023)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 96.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) was 23.55 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- The highest recorded value was 23.55 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.74 million in 1970.
- How does ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) rank for school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes?
- ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) ranks 127th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: West Africa (unsdcode:98105) 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.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release