School age population, secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)

ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104): School age population, secondary education, both sexes was 23.39 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
23.39 million
Change on year
up 1.6%
Rank
176th
of 221 groups
All-time high
23.39 million
in 2024
All-time low
6.64 million
in 1970
Years of data
55
1970–2024

School age population, secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), 1970–2024

5.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M25.0M197019972024

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for school age population, secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) is 23.39 million, measured 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 26.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) peaked at 23.39 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.64 million, in 1970.

ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 176th of 221 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.

School age population, secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), year by year

Annual values for School age population, secondary education, both sexes (number) in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104), 1970 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1970 6.64 million
1971 6.85 million +3.1%
1972 7.08 million +3.4%
1973 7.32 million +3.3%
1974 7.55 million +3.1%
1975 7.84 million +3.9%
1976 8.08 million +3.0%
1977 8.31 million +2.9%
1978 8.54 million +2.8%
1979 8.77 million +2.6%
1980 9.05 million +3.2%
1981 9.48 million +4.8%
1982 9.32 million -1.8%
1983 9.61 million +3.2%
1984 10.39 million +8.0%
1985 10.70 million +3.0%
1986 11.03 million +3.2%
1987 11.32 million +2.6%
1988 11.62 million +2.6%
1989 11.91 million +2.5%
1990 12.21 million +2.5%
1991 12.50 million +2.3%
1992 12.80 million +2.4%
1993 13.18 million +3.0%
1994 13.44 million +1.9%
1995 14.24 million +6.0%
1996 14.90 million +4.6%
1997 14.90 million +0.0%
1998 15.11 million +1.4%
1999 15.62 million +3.4%
2000 16.11 million +3.1%
2001 16.48 million +2.3%
2002 16.77 million +1.8%
2003 16.99 million +1.3%
2004 17.16 million +1.0%
2005 17.27 million +0.7%
2006 17.39 million +0.7%
2007 16.94 million -2.6%
2008 17.09 million +0.9%
2009 17.22 million +0.7%
2010 17.43 million +1.3%
2011 17.65 million +1.3%
2012 17.89 million +1.3%
2013 18.19 million +1.7%
2014 18.56 million +2.1%
2015 18.88 million +1.7%
2016 19.24 million +2.0%
2017 19.51 million +1.4%
2018 20.00 million +2.5%
2019 20.51 million +2.5%
2020 21.06 million +2.7%
2021 21.66 million +2.9%
2022 22.32 million +3.0%
2023 23.02 million +3.1%
2024 23.39 million +1.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 7.70 million 6.64 million 8.77 million 10
1980s 10.44 million 9.05 million 11.91 million 10
1990s 13.89 million 12.21 million 15.62 million 10
2000s 16.94 million 16.11 million 17.39 million 10
2010s 18.79 million 17.43 million 20.51 million 10
2020s 22.29 million 21.06 million 23.39 million 5

Countries ranked near ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)

  1. 173 Belize 44,119 compare
  2. 174 French Guiana 43,215 compare
  3. 175 Samoa 36,170 compare
  4. 176 Iceland 35,201 compare
  5. 177 Macao 34,400 compare
  6. 178 Sao Tome and Principe 33,735 compare
  7. 179 Bahamas 32,965 compare

See the full ranking of 441 places →

More education data for ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)

All data for ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
School age population, secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) was 23.39 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, secondary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
The highest recorded value was 23.39 million in 2024.
What is the lowest school age population, secondary education, both sexes recorded in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
The lowest recorded value was 6.64 million in 1970.
How does ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) rank for school age population, secondary education, both sexes?
ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104) ranks 176th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
Is school age population, secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104)?
Over the last ten years it is up 26.0%. 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, secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, secondary education, both sexes in ECA: Southern Africa (unsdcode:98104). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-secondary-education-both-sexes-number-2/eca-southern-africa-unsdcode-98104/

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About this data

Indicator
School age population, secondary education, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
441 places, 20,379 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release