Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying was 590,109 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
590,109
Change on year
up 12.0%
Rank
98th
of 221 groups
All-time high
590,109
in 2023
All-time low
177,178
in 1997
Years of data
27
1997–2023

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1997–2023

200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k600.0k1997201020231997: 177.2k1998: 177.2k1999: 184.0k2000: 199.5k2001: 214.7k2002: 234.4k2003: 254.0k2004: 257.2k2005: 266.2k2006: 276.0k2007: 288.9k2008: 299.4k2009: 313.2k2010: 325.8k2011: 347.2k2012: 320.9k2013: 328.1k2014: 362.5k2015: 386.5k2016: 406.1k2017: 408.7k2018: 409.6k2019: 425.4k2020: 455.2k2021: 482.2k2022: 526.9k2023: 590.1k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa is 590,109, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.0% on the previous year and up 79.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 590,109 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 177,178, in 1997.

SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 98th of 221 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (UIS estimate) (number) in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1997 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1997 177,178
1998 177,178 +0.0%
1999 184,028 +3.9%
2000 199,535 +8.4%
2001 214,676 +7.6%
2002 234,445 +9.2%
2003 254,008 +8.3%
2004 257,237 +1.3%
2005 266,244 +3.5%
2006 276,027 +3.7%
2007 288,917 +4.7%
2008 299,418 +3.6%
2009 313,167 +4.6%
2010 325,844 +4.0%
2011 347,179 +6.5%
2012 320,933 -7.6%
2013 328,083 +2.2%
2014 362,507 +10.5%
2015 386,462 +6.6%
2016 406,070 +5.1%
2017 408,694 +0.6%
2018 409,630 +0.2%
2019 425,434 +3.9%
2020 455,189 +7.0%
2021 482,205 +5.9%
2022 526,912 +9.3%
2023 590,109 +12.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 179,461 177,178 184,028 3
2000s 260,367 199,535 313,167 10
2010s 372,084 320,933 425,434 10
2020s 513,604 455,189 590,109 4

Countries ranked near SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

  1. 95 South Africa 13,270 compare
  2. 96 Argentina 12,445 compare
  3. 97 Angola 11,955 compare
  4. 98 Haiti 11,427 compare
  5. 99 Ethiopia 11,148 compare
  6. 100 Benin 11,144 compare
  7. 101 Czechia 11,123 compare

See the full ranking of 431 places →

More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa

All data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 590,109 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 590,109 in 2023.
What is the lowest total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 177,178 in 1997.
How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying?
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 98th out of 221 groups with data for 2023.
Is total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 79.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this SDG: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (UIS estimate) (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/total-outbound-internationally-mobile-tertiary-students-studying-abroad-all-countries-3/sdg-sub-saharan-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/total-outbound-internationally-mobile-tertiary-students-studying-abroad-all-countries-3/sdg-sub-saharan-africa/">Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Total outbound internationally mobile tertiary students studying abroad, all countries, both sexes (UIS estimate) (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
431 places, 11,332 data points, 1997–2023
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release