School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: School age population, tertiary education, both sexes was 94.78 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
94.78 million number
Change on year
up 0.6%
Rank
16th
of 43 groups
All-time high
94.78 million number
in 2019
All-time low
26.89 million number
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019
School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 94.78 million number for school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in 2019. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 94.78 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 26.89 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, tertiary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 26.89 million number | — |
| 1971 | 27.59 million number | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 28.24 million number | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 28.94 million number | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 29.69 million number | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 30.51 million number | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 31.33 million number | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 32.18 million number | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 33.05 million number | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 33.95 million number | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 34.88 million number | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 35.80 million number | +2.6% |
| 1982 | 36.72 million number | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 37.65 million number | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 38.55 million number | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 39.58 million number | +2.7% |
| 1986 | 40.88 million number | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 41.93 million number | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 43.10 million number | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 44.49 million number | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 45.90 million number | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 47.40 million number | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 48.88 million number | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 50.39 million number | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 51.90 million number | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 53.49 million number | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 55.12 million number | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 56.63 million number | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 58.34 million number | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 60.09 million number | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 62.02 million number | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 64.01 million number | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 65.91 million number | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 67.86 million number | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 69.90 million number | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 71.85 million number | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 73.81 million number | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 75.59 million number | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 77.48 million number | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 79.36 million number | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 81.29 million number | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 83.34 million number | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 85.37 million number | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 87.61 million number | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 89.96 million number | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 91.26 million number | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 92.46 million number | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 93.41 million number | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 94.20 million number | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 94.78 million number | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 30.24 million number | 26.89 million number | 33.95 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 39.36 million number | 34.88 million number | 44.49 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.81 million number | 45.90 million number | 60.09 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.78 million number | 62.02 million number | 79.36 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 89.37 million number | 81.29 million number | 94.78 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 13 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 7.04 million number compare
- 14 Viet Nam 6.87 million number compare
- 15 Russian Federation 6.83 million number compare
- 16 Türkiye 6.68 million number compare
- 17 Iran, Islamic Republic of 5.76 million number compare
- 18 Kenya 5.26 million number compare
- 19 Tanzania, United Republic of 4.98 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, tertiary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa was 94.78 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, tertiary education, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 94.78 million number in 2019.
- What is the lowest school age population, tertiary education, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.89 million number in 1970.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for school age population, tertiary education, both sexes?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 16th out of 43 groups with data for 2019.
- Is school age population, tertiary education, both sexes rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.4%. 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, tertiary 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 tertiary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.