Secondary education, general pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Secondary education, general pupils was 59.80 million in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Secondary education, general pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 59.80 million for secondary education, general pupils in 2018. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 59.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, secondary education, general pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 59.80 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 5.03 million, in 1970.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 22nd of 41 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
- 19 Ethiopia 4.97 million compare
- 20 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 4.92 million compare
- 21 South Africa 4.70 million compare
- 22 Argentina 4.61 million compare
- 23 Colombia 4.46 million compare
- 24 Myanmar 4.18 million compare
- 25 United Kingdom 4.17 million compare
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 97.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, per capita 0.004 units per person (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 secondary education, general pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Secondary education, general pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa was 59.80 million in 2018, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest secondary education, general pupils recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 59.80 million in 2018.
- What is the lowest secondary education, general pupils 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?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 22nd out of 41 groups with data for 2018.
- Is secondary education, general pupils 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 Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Secondary education, general pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Secondary general pupils are the number of secondary students enrolled in general education programs, including teacher training.