School enrollment, tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: School enrollment, tertiary, female was 8.2% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
School enrollment, tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2021
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
In 2021, school enrollment, tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 8.2%. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 26.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 8.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1971.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 37th out of 43 groups with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
School enrollment, tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.1% | — |
| 1971 | 1.1% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 1.1% | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 1.1% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 1.2% | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 1.2% | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 1.2% | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 1.3% | +4.3% |
| 1979 | 1.4% | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 1.5% | +4.2% |
| 1981 | 1.5% | +5.7% |
| 1982 | 1.6% | +5.6% |
| 1983 | 1.7% | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 1.7% | +2.8% |
| 1985 | 1.8% | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 1.9% | +4.2% |
| 1987 | 1.9% | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 2.1% | +4.6% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 2.2% | +6.1% |
| 1992 | 2.4% | +6.5% |
| 1993 | 2.5% | +6.0% |
| 1994 | 2.7% | +9.2% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 3.1% | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | +4.4% |
| 1999 | 3.3% | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 3.6% | +8.9% |
| 2001 | 3.9% | +7.5% |
| 2002 | 4.2% | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 4.4% | +6.4% |
| 2004 | 4.7% | +5.9% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 5.2% | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 5.3% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 5.6% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 5.9% | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 6.3% | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 6.5% | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 7.2% | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 7.3% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 7.5% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 7.7% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 7.9% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 8.0% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 8.1% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 8.2% | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.1% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.8% | 3.6% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.3% | 6.3% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.1% | 8.1% | 8.2% | 2 |
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, tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- School enrollment, tertiary, female in Sub-Saharan Africa was 8.2% in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, tertiary, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.2% in 2021.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, tertiary, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1971.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for school enrollment, tertiary, female?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 37th out of 43 groups with data for 2021.
- Is school enrollment, tertiary, female rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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, tertiary, 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. Tertiary education, whether or not to an advanced research qualification, normally requires, as a minimum condition of admission, the successful completion of education at the secondary level.