Secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled was 59.80 million in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
59.80 million
Change on year
up 3.5%
Rank
22nd
of 41 groups
All-time high
59.80 million
in 2018
All-time low
5.03 million
in 1970
Years of data
49
1970–2018

Secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2018

020.0M40.0M60.0M197019942018

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

In 2018, secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 59.80 million. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 59.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 59.80 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 5.03 million, in 1970.

That places Sub-Saharan Africa 22nd out of 41 groups with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1970 5.03 million
1971 5.19 million +3.1%
1972 5.47 million +5.5%
1973 5.73 million +4.8%
1974 5.98 million +4.2%
1975 6.36 million +6.5%
1976 6.78 million +6.4%
1977 7.17 million +5.8%
1978 7.70 million +7.4%
1979 8.30 million +7.7%
1980 9.08 million +9.4%
1981 9.99 million +10.0%
1982 10.80 million +8.2%
1983 11.80 million +9.3%
1984 12.90 million +9.3%
1985 13.50 million +4.7%
1986 13.40 million -0.7%
1987 13.90 million +3.7%
1988 14.30 million +2.9%
1989 14.30 million +0.0%
1990 14.90 million +4.2%
1991 15.50 million +4.0%
1992 15.90 million +2.6%
1993 16.50 million +3.8%
1994 17.10 million +3.6%
1995 18.00 million +5.3%
1996 18.70 million +3.9%
1997 19.20 million +2.7%
1998 20.30 million +5.7%
1999 21.10 million +3.9%
2000 22.10 million +4.7%
2001 23.90 million +8.1%
2002 25.50 million +6.7%
2003 27.20 million +6.7%
2004 29.50 million +8.5%
2005 31.20 million +5.8%
2006 33.10 million +6.1%
2007 34.60 million +4.5%
2008 37.50 million +8.4%
2009 40.30 million +7.5%
2010 43.50 million +7.9%
2011 46.10 million +6.0%
2012 48.80 million +5.9%
2013 53.30 million +9.2%
2014 53.10 million -0.4%
2015 55.40 million +4.3%
2016 56.10 million +1.3%
2017 57.80 million +3.0%
2018 59.80 million +3.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6.37 million 5.03 million 8.30 million 10
1980s 12.40 million 9.08 million 14.30 million 10
1990s 17.72 million 14.90 million 21.10 million 10
2000s 30.49 million 22.10 million 40.30 million 10
2010s 52.66 million 43.50 million 59.80 million 9

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa

  1. 19 Ethiopia 4.97 million compare
  2. 20 Iran 4.92 million compare
  3. 21 South Africa 4.70 million compare
  4. 22 Argentina 4.61 million compare
  5. 23 Colombia 4.46 million compare
  6. 24 Myanmar 4.18 million compare
  7. 25 United Kingdom 4.17 million compare

See the full ranking of 247 places →

More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled in Sub-Saharan Africa was 59.80 million in 2018, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 59.80 million in 2018.
What is the lowest secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5.03 million in 1970.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 22nd out of 41 groups with data for 2018.
Is secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 59.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/secondary-education-general-pupils-gaps-filled/sub-saharan-africa/

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How this figure is calculated

Secondary education, general pupils with 570 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Secondary education, general pupils, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
247 places, 9,915 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Secondary education, general pupils with 570 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.