School enrollment, primary, female in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: School enrollment, primary, female was 89.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, primary, female in Africa Western and Central, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
Africa Western and Central recorded 89.7% for school enrollment, primary, female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, primary, female in Africa Western and Central peaked at 89.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 32.6%, in 1970.
Africa Western and Central ranks 44th of 45 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School enrollment, primary, female in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 32.6% | — |
| 1971 | 34.3% | +5.5% |
| 1972 | 36.4% | +6.0% |
| 1973 | 38.0% | +4.5% |
| 1974 | 38.3% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 38.7% | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 39.3% | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 45.2% | +14.9% |
| 1978 | 52.6% | +16.3% |
| 1979 | 58.6% | +11.5% |
| 1980 | 61.7% | +5.3% |
| 1981 | 65.5% | +6.1% |
| 1982 | 69.4% | +6.1% |
| 1983 | 69.2% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 68.6% | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 67.4% | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 62.3% | -7.6% |
| 1987 | 61.0% | -2.1% |
| 1988 | 58.2% | -4.7% |
| 1989 | 59.6% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 59.5% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 60.1% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 62.3% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 64.0% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 64.7% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 63.9% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 60.3% | -5.7% |
| 1997 | 63.4% | +5.2% |
| 1998 | 65.8% | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 68.1% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 71.4% | +4.9% |
| 2001 | 72.5% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 74.1% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 75.3% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 77.4% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 78.6% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 80.0% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 78.4% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 76.4% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 78.4% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 79.7% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 83.7% | +5.1% |
| 2012 | 86.5% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 87.7% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 86.6% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 84.6% | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 83.6% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 84.2% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 84.5% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 85.8% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 86.7% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 86.8% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 88.0% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 89.2% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 89.7% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 41.4% | 32.6% | 58.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 64.3% | 58.2% | 69.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 63.2% | 59.5% | 68.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.3% | 71.4% | 80.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 84.7% | 79.7% | 87.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 88.1% | 86.7% | 89.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
- 41 Mauritius 107.8% compare
- 42 Sao Tome and Principe 107.6% compare
- 43 United Arab Emirates 107.5% compare
- 44 Palau 107.5% compare
- 45 Fiji 107.2% compare
- 46 Republic of Moldova 107.0% compare
- 47 Mauritania 106.9% compare
More education data for Africa Western and Central
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1455 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 35.36 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 40.9% (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 75.77 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 56.1% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9058 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.08 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, primary, female in Africa Western and Central?
- School enrollment, primary, female in Africa Western and Central was 89.7% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, primary, female recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 89.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, primary, female recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.6% in 1970.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for school enrollment, primary, female?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 44th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school enrollment, primary, female rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, primary, female (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.