School enrollment, secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: School enrollment, secondary was 45.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
In 2024, school enrollment, secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 45.9%. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 45.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.9%, in 1971.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 37th of 43 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, secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 13.2% | — |
| 1971 | 12.9% | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 13.5% | +5.0% |
| 1973 | 13.8% | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 14.0% | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 14.5% | +3.6% |
| 1976 | 14.8% | +1.7% |
| 1977 | 15.3% | +3.5% |
| 1978 | 16.1% | +5.1% |
| 1979 | 17.0% | +5.4% |
| 1980 | 18.1% | +6.8% |
| 1981 | 19.3% | +6.8% |
| 1982 | 20.6% | +6.5% |
| 1983 | 21.8% | +5.6% |
| 1984 | 22.8% | +4.8% |
| 1985 | 23.3% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 22.8% | -1.8% |
| 1987 | 23.0% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 23.0% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 22.5% | -2.4% |
| 1990 | 22.6% | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 22.9% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 22.8% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 23.0% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 23.2% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 23.7% | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 23.9% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 24.1% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 24.6% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 24.9% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 25.4% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 26.7% | +5.1% |
| 2002 | 27.7% | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 28.8% | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 30.4% | +5.3% |
| 2005 | 31.3% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 32.3% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 33.2% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 35.1% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 36.8% | +4.9% |
| 2010 | 38.6% | +5.0% |
| 2011 | 39.8% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 41.0% | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 43.4% | +5.8% |
| 2014 | 42.3% | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 42.9% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 42.5% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 42.9% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 43.2% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 44.0% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 44.7% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 45.3% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 45.4% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 45.7% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 45.9% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 14.5% | 12.9% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 21.7% | 18.1% | 23.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.6% | 22.6% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.8% | 25.4% | 36.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.1% | 38.6% | 44.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.4% | 44.7% | 45.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 97.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per capita 0.004 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 96.0% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male 98.2% (2024)
- Labor force, total 526.96 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- School enrollment, secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa was 45.9% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, secondary recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 45.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, secondary recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.9% in 1971.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for school enrollment, secondary?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 37th out of 43 groups with data for 2024.
- Is school enrollment, secondary rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. 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, secondary (% 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. Secondary education completes the provision of basic education that began at the primary level, and aims at laying the foundations for lifelong learning and human development, by offering more subject- or skill-oriented instruction using more specialized teachers.