Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa
UNICEF: West and Central Africa: Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes was 64.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
64.5%
Change on year
down 1.4%
Rank
176th
of 220 groups
All-time high
75.4%
in 1977
All-time low
59.0%
in 2016
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa is 64.5%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa peaked at 75.4% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 59.0%, in 2016.
UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 176th of 220 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 65.8% | — |
| 1971 | 66.5% | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 67.2% | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 68.6% | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 71.1% | +3.7% |
| 1975 | 73.2% | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 73.4% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 75.4% | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 74.7% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 73.7% | -1.4% |
| 1980 | 74.1% | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 74.8% | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 75.0% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 73.9% | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 74.4% | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 73.8% | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 75.3% | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 75.4% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 74.8% | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 73.3% | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 73.6% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 71.4% | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 74.1% | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 73.9% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 73.4% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 73.3% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 74.4% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 74.3% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 74.9% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 74.4% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 74.8% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 74.1% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 71.0% | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 70.2% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 68.3% | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 70.1% | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 59.5% | -15.1% |
| 2007 | 59.3% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 69.1% | +16.4% |
| 2009 | 61.1% | -11.5% |
| 2010 | 61.6% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 65.5% | +6.3% |
| 2012 | 61.7% | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 60.9% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 59.7% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 59.7% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 59.0% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 61.3% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 63.2% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 65.0% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 66.5% | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 65.9% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 65.4% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 64.5% | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 71.0% | 65.8% | 75.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 74.5% | 73.3% | 75.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 73.8% | 71.4% | 74.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.8% | 59.3% | 74.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.8% | 59.0% | 65.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.6% | 64.5% | 66.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: West and Central Africa
- 173 Mozambique 43.1% compare
- 174 Sierra Leone 39.9% compare
- 175 Uganda 35.5% compare
- 176 Haiti 32.2% compare
- 177 Madagascar 31.6% compare
- 178 Burkina Faso 31.0% compare
- 179 Palestine 18.6% compare
More education data for UNICEF: West and Central Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.92 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 20.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.9224 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 22.91 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.5411 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 8.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.9535 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.20 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.46 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.73 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa was 64.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 75.4% in 1977.
- What is the lowest survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.0% in 2016.
- How does UNICEF: West and Central Africa rank for survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes?
- UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 176th out of 220 groups with data for 2023.
- Is survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this UNICEF: West and Central Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Survival rate to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release