School age population, secondary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: School age population, secondary education, both sexes was 149.89 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
149.89 million number
Change on year
up 2.7%
Rank
16th
of 43 groups
All-time high
149.89 million number
in 2019
All-time low
41.29 million number
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019
School age population, secondary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 149.89 million number for school age population, secondary education, both sexes in 2019. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 31.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, secondary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 149.89 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 41.29 million number, in 1970.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 16th of 43 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
School age population, secondary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 41.29 million number | — |
| 1971 | 42.41 million number | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 43.47 million number | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 44.70 million number | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 45.94 million number | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 47.32 million number | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 48.65 million number | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 49.73 million number | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 50.94 million number | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 52.24 million number | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 53.73 million number | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 55.52 million number | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 56.42 million number | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 57.99 million number | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 60.26 million number | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 62.16 million number | +3.2% |
| 1986 | 62.51 million number | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 64.37 million number | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 66.37 million number | +3.1% |
| 1989 | 68.00 million number | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 70.19 million number | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 72.35 million number | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 74.29 million number | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 76.32 million number | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 78.67 million number | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 80.97 million number | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 83.50 million number | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 85.22 million number | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 87.48 million number | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 89.87 million number | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 92.37 million number | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 94.80 million number | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 96.96 million number | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 99.19 million number | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 101.61 million number | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 104.03 million number | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 106.50 million number | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 108.30 million number | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 111.09 million number | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 114.06 million number | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 117.28 million number | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 120.65 million number | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 123.91 million number | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 126.97 million number | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 130.60 million number | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 134.41 million number | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 138.30 million number | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 141.95 million number | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 145.99 million number | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 149.89 million number | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 46.67 million number | 41.29 million number | 52.24 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 60.73 million number | 53.73 million number | 68.00 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 79.89 million number | 70.19 million number | 89.87 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 102.89 million number | 92.37 million number | 114.06 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 132.99 million number | 117.28 million number | 149.89 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 13 Türkiye 10.85 million number compare
- 14 Egypt 10.66 million number compare
- 15 Russian Federation 10.49 million number compare
- 16 Viet Nam 9.41 million number compare
- 17 Tanzania, United Republic of 7.87 million number compare
- 18 Kenya 7.69 million number compare
- 19 Germany 7.08 million number compare
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- 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 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, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 97.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 5.14 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, secondary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- School age population, secondary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa was 149.89 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, secondary education, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 149.89 million number in 2019.
- What is the lowest school age population, secondary education, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.29 million number in 1970.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for school age population, secondary education, both sexes?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 16th out of 43 groups with data for 2019.
- Is school age population, secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.4%. 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, secondary 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 secondary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.