School enrollment, tertiary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): School enrollment, tertiary was 9.3% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
School enrollment, tertiary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1970–2021
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school enrollment, tertiary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 9.3%, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 52 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, tertiary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 9.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 1971.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 42nd of 45 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
School enrollment, tertiary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.4% | — |
| 1971 | 1.4% | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 1.5% | +5.8% |
| 1973 | 1.5% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 1.5% | +4.8% |
| 1975 | 1.6% | +3.4% |
| 1976 | 1.6% | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 1.7% | +5.2% |
| 1978 | 1.8% | +6.3% |
| 1979 | 2.0% | +7.3% |
| 1980 | 2.1% | +5.0% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | +6.8% |
| 1982 | 2.4% | +6.9% |
| 1983 | 2.4% | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 2.5% | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 2.7% | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 2.7% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | +5.0% |
| 1989 | 3.0% | +4.9% |
| 1990 | 3.1% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 3.2% | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 3.3% | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 3.6% | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 3.7% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 3.8% | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 3.9% | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 4.0% | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 4.0% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 4.4% | +8.7% |
| 2001 | 4.7% | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 5.1% | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 5.5% | +7.5% |
| 2004 | 5.7% | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 6.1% | +5.7% |
| 2006 | 6.2% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 6.4% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 6.8% | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 7.1% | +5.7% |
| 2010 | 7.6% | +6.2% |
| 2011 | 7.9% | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 8.2% | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 8.6% | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 8.7% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 8.8% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 8.8% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 9.0% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 9.1% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 9.1% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 9.2% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 9.3% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.6% | 3.1% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.8% | 4.4% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.6% | 7.6% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.2% | 9.2% | 9.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9733 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.79 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.42 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, tertiary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- School enrollment, tertiary in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 9.3% in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, tertiary recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 9.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, tertiary recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 1971.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for school enrollment, tertiary?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 42nd out of 45 groups with data for 2021.
- Is school enrollment, tertiary rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, tertiary (% 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.