School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes was 80.40 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
80.40 million number
Change on year
up 1.7%
Rank
14th
of 43 groups
All-time high
80.40 million number
in 2019
All-time low
24.62 million number
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019
School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
In 2019, school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 80.40 million number. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 31.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 80.40 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 24.62 million number, in 1970.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 14th out of 43 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 24.62 million number | — |
| 1971 | 25.16 million number | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 25.89 million number | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 26.60 million number | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 27.22 million number | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 27.89 million number | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 28.88 million number | +3.6% |
| 1977 | 30.04 million number | +4.0% |
| 1978 | 30.86 million number | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 31.79 million number | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 32.61 million number | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 33.70 million number | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 34.98 million number | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 35.64 million number | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 36.67 million number | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 37.59 million number | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 38.55 million number | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 40.08 million number | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 41.26 million number | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 42.36 million number | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 43.31 million number | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 44.31 million number | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 45.50 million number | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 46.59 million number | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 48.17 million number | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 49.03 million number | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 49.90 million number | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 49.80 million number | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 54.44 million number | +9.3% |
| 1999 | 48.21 million number | -11.4% |
| 2000 | 49.34 million number | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 50.61 million number | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 52.18 million number | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 53.77 million number | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 55.30 million number | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 56.72 million number | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 58.20 million number | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 58.15 million number | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 59.77 million number | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 61.33 million number | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 62.82 million number | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 64.37 million number | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 66.06 million number | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 67.73 million number | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 69.30 million number | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 73.04 million number | +5.4% |
| 2016 | 75.48 million number | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 76.37 million number | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 79.03 million number | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 80.40 million number | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.89 million number | 24.62 million number | 31.79 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 37.34 million number | 32.61 million number | 42.36 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 47.93 million number | 43.31 million number | 54.44 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.54 million number | 49.34 million number | 61.33 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.46 million number | 62.82 million number | 80.40 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.43 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa was 80.40 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 80.40 million number in 2019.
- What is the lowest school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.62 million number in 1970.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 14th out of 43 groups with data for 2019.
- Is school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to pre-primary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.