Secondary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Secondary education, pupils was 46.5% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Secondary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % female.
Analysis
The most recent figure for secondary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa is 46.5%, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, secondary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 46.5% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 37.1%, in 1984.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 35th of 41 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Secondary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % female | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 40.6% | — |
| 1971 | 40.6% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 40.5% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 40.6% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 40.6% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 40.3% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 40.0% | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 39.8% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 39.8% | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 39.4% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 39.0% | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 39.2% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 39.4% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 38.0% | -3.6% |
| 1984 | 37.1% | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 39.2% | +5.7% |
| 1986 | 41.4% | +5.6% |
| 1987 | 42.1% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 42.3% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 42.5% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 42.9% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 43.3% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 43.6% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 43.8% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 43.8% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 44.4% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 44.6% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 44.7% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 44.7% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 44.8% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 44.3% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 44.1% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 43.5% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 43.7% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 43.6% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 43.8% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 43.8% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 43.5% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 44.1% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 44.5% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 44.8% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 45.0% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 45.6% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 45.9% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 45.9% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 46.1% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 46.3% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 46.4% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 46.5% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.2% | 39.4% | 40.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 40.0% | 37.1% | 42.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.0% | 42.9% | 44.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.9% | 43.5% | 44.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.8% | 44.8% | 46.5% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (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, per capita 0.3987 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is secondary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Secondary education, pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa was 46.5% in 2018, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest secondary education, pupils recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 46.5% in 2018.
- What is the lowest secondary education, pupils recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.1% in 1984.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for secondary education, pupils?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 35th out of 41 groups with data for 2018.
- Is secondary education, pupils rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, pupils (% female). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Female pupils as a percentage of total pupils at secondary level includes enrollments in public and private schools.