Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)

Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes was 1.71 million number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
1.71 million number
Change on year
up 0.7%
Rank
23rd
of 43 groups
All-time high
1.82 million number
in 2015
All-time low
759,211 number
in 1998
Years of data
21
1998–2018

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1998–2018

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M1998200820181998: 759.2k number1999: 811.2k number2000: 917.3k number2001: 1.0M number2002: 1.1M number2003: 1.2M number2004: 1.2M number2005: 1.4M number2006: 1.4M number2007: 1.4M number2008: 1.5M number2009: 1.5M number2010: 1.6M number2011: 1.6M number2012: 1.6M number2013: 1.7M number2014: 1.8M number2015: 1.8M number2016: 1.7M number2017: 1.7M number2018: 1.7M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 1.71 million number for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 16.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 1.82 million number in 2015 and was at its lowest, 759,211 number, in 1998.

That places Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 23rd out of 43 groups with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1998 to 2018.
Year number Change
1998 759,211 number
1999 811,191 number +6.8%
2000 917,299 number +13.1%
2001 1.01 million number +10.0%
2002 1.10 million number +8.6%
2003 1.17 million number +7.3%
2004 1.25 million number +6.2%
2005 1.41 million number +12.8%
2006 1.41 million number +0.3%
2007 1.44 million number +1.6%
2008 1.47 million number +2.4%
2009 1.53 million number +4.1%
2010 1.58 million number +3.5%
2011 1.58 million number -0.2%
2012 1.63 million number +3.0%
2013 1.73 million number +6.6%
2014 1.78 million number +2.6%
2015 1.82 million number +2.4%
2016 1.71 million number -6.0%
2017 1.70 million number -0.9%
2018 1.71 million number +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 785,201 number 759,211 number 811,191 number 2
2000s 1.27 million number 917,299 number 1.53 million number 10
2010s 1.69 million number 1.58 million number 1.82 million number 9

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)

  1. 20 Chile 347,377 number compare
  2. 21 Thailand 345,866 number compare
  3. 22 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 284,245 number compare
  4. 23 Saudi Arabia 256,004 number compare
  5. 24 Greece 224,478 number compare
  6. 25 Bangladesh 203,373 number compare
  7. 26 Morocco 188,014 number

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More reference data data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 1.71 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The highest recorded value was 1.82 million number in 2015.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The lowest recorded value was 759,211 number in 1998.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes?
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 23rd out of 43 groups with data for 2018.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries). Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-5-programmes-both-sexes-number/sub-saharan-africa-ida-and-ibrd-countries/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
188 places, 2,883 data points, 1997–2020
Last refreshed

Total number of students enrolled in public and private short-cycle tertiary education programmes (ISCED 5).