School enrollment, primary, male in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: School enrollment, primary, male was 98.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, primary, male in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school enrollment, primary, male in Sub-Saharan Africa is 98.2%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, primary, male in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 99.7% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 62.4%, in 1971.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 34th out of 43 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
School enrollment, primary, male in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 64.2% | — |
| 1971 | 62.4% | -2.8% |
| 1972 | 63.5% | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 64.6% | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 66.7% | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 68.3% | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 69.4% | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 72.5% | +4.4% |
| 1978 | 76.1% | +5.0% |
| 1979 | 80.8% | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 83.7% | +3.6% |
| 1981 | 86.0% | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 88.3% | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 88.3% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 87.1% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 84.3% | -3.2% |
| 1986 | 81.0% | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 78.8% | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 78.6% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 78.2% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 77.7% | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 78.5% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 78.1% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 79.6% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 79.7% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 80.4% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 78.2% | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 81.8% | +4.7% |
| 1998 | 83.3% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 83.5% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 85.8% | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 87.5% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 89.8% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 92.1% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 93.9% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 95.9% | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 97.2% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 97.6% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 98.6% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 98.1% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 99.6% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 99.7% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 99.4% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 98.7% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 96.8% | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 97.1% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 97.6% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 98.3% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 99.0% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 99.6% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 98.5% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 97.3% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 98.0% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 98.2% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 68.9% | 62.4% | 80.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 83.4% | 78.2% | 88.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 80.1% | 77.7% | 83.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 93.7% | 85.8% | 98.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.4% | 96.8% | 99.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.3% | 97.3% | 99.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 97.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 5.14 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, primary, male in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- School enrollment, primary, male in Sub-Saharan Africa was 98.2% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, primary, male recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 99.7% in 2012.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, primary, male recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.4% in 1971.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for school enrollment, primary, male?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 34th out of 43 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school enrollment, primary, male rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, primary, male (% 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.