School age population, primary education, female in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa

UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa: School age population, primary education, female was 50.37 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
50.37 million
Change on year
up 0.7%
Rank
81st
of 221 groups
All-time high
50.37 million
in 2024
All-time low
14.35 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024

School age population, primary education, female in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, 1970–2024

10.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M50.0M197019972024

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa recorded 50.37 million for school age population, primary education, female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 17.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, primary education, female in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa peaked at 50.37 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 14.35 million, in 1970.

UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa ranks 81st 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, primary education, female in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, year by year

Annual values for School age population, primary education, female (number) in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, 1970 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1970 14.35 million
1971 14.73 million +2.6%
1972 15.11 million +2.6%
1973 15.45 million +2.2%
1974 15.85 million +2.6%
1975 16.15 million +1.9%
1976 16.58 million +2.7%
1977 16.92 million +2.0%
1978 17.33 million +2.4%
1979 17.80 million +2.7%
1980 18.25 million +2.5%
1981 18.62 million +2.0%
1982 19.08 million +2.5%
1983 19.52 million +2.3%
1984 19.99 million +2.4%
1985 20.52 million +2.6%
1986 21.06 million +2.7%
1987 21.81 million +3.5%
1988 22.41 million +2.7%
1989 22.97 million +2.5%
1990 23.54 million +2.5%
1991 24.14 million +2.5%
1992 24.73 million +2.4%
1993 25.51 million +3.2%
1994 26.12 million +2.4%
1995 26.82 million +2.7%
1996 27.45 million +2.3%
1997 28.32 million +3.2%
1998 29.10 million +2.7%
1999 29.72 million +2.2%
2000 30.37 million +2.2%
2001 31.04 million +2.2%
2002 31.71 million +2.1%
2003 32.48 million +2.4%
2004 33.23 million +2.3%
2005 33.99 million +2.3%
2006 34.75 million +2.2%
2007 36.07 million +3.8%
2008 36.91 million +2.3%
2009 37.81 million +2.4%
2010 38.70 million +2.4%
2011 39.65 million +2.4%
2012 40.63 million +2.5%
2013 41.86 million +3.0%
2014 42.83 million +2.3%
2015 43.89 million +2.5%
2016 44.97 million +2.5%
2017 45.99 million +2.3%
2018 46.92 million +2.0%
2019 47.76 million +1.8%
2020 48.51 million +1.6%
2021 49.18 million +1.4%
2022 49.83 million +1.3%
2023 50.03 million +0.4%
2024 50.37 million +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 16.03 million 14.35 million 17.80 million 10
1980s 20.42 million 18.25 million 22.97 million 10
1990s 26.55 million 23.54 million 29.72 million 10
2000s 33.84 million 30.37 million 37.81 million 10
2010s 43.32 million 38.70 million 47.76 million 10
2020s 49.58 million 48.51 million 50.37 million 5

Countries ranked near UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa

  1. 78 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 723,240 compare
  2. 79 Ukraine 706,382 compare
  3. 80 Papua New Guinea 669,641 compare
  4. 81 Honduras 639,623 compare
  5. 82 Sierra Leone 639,047 compare
  6. 83 Tunisia 619,246 compare
  7. 84 Dominican Republic 559,399 compare

See the full ranking of 443 places →

More education data for UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa

All data for UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, primary education, female in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
School age population, primary education, female in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa was 50.37 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, primary education, female recorded in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 50.37 million in 2024.
What is the lowest school age population, primary education, female recorded in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 14.35 million in 1970.
How does UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa rank for school age population, primary education, female?
UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa ranks 81st out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
Is school age population, primary education, female rising or falling in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, primary education, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, primary education, female in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-primary-education-female-number-2/unicef-eastern-and-southern-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
School age population, primary education, female (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
443 places, 20,724 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release