Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary was 29.56 million number in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
29.56 million number
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
7th
of 45 groups
All-time high
30.96 million number
in 1999
All-time low
18.79 million number
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1970–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 29.56 million number for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in 2019.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 30.96 million number in 1999 and was at its lowest, 18.79 million number, in 1970.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 7th out of 45 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.
Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 18.79 million number | — |
| 1971 | 19.20 million number | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 19.53 million number | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 19.83 million number | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 19.92 million number | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 19.99 million number | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 20.27 million number | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 20.23 million number | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 20.20 million number | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 19.93 million number | -1.3% |
| 1980 | 19.87 million number | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 19.82 million number | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 19.85 million number | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 20.44 million number | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 21.25 million number | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 22.22 million number | +4.6% |
| 1986 | 22.96 million number | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 24.05 million number | +4.8% |
| 1988 | 25.12 million number | +4.4% |
| 1989 | 25.53 million number | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 26.55 million number | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 26.88 million number | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 27.79 million number | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 28.33 million number | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 29.01 million number | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 28.82 million number | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 29.92 million number | +3.8% |
| 1997 | 29.22 million number | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 30.56 million number | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 30.96 million number | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 30.12 million number | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 29.53 million number | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 28.76 million number | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 27.73 million number | -3.6% |
| 2004 | 27.21 million number | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 26.36 million number | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 25.88 million number | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 24.65 million number | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 24.76 million number | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 24.97 million number | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 25.52 million number | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 25.24 million number | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 25.89 million number | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 26.29 million number | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 27.28 million number | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 28.03 million number | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 28.21 million number | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 28.47 million number | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 29.50 million number | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 29.56 million number | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 19.79 million number | 18.79 million number | 20.27 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.11 million number | 19.82 million number | 25.53 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.80 million number | 26.55 million number | 30.96 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.00 million number | 24.65 million number | 30.12 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.40 million number | 25.24 million number | 29.56 million number | 10 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 4 Mali 972,275 number compare
- 5 Burkina Faso 851,122 number compare
- 6 Philippines 825,925 number compare
- 7 Syrian Arab Republic 687,651 number compare
- 8 Chad 672,766 number compare
- 9 South Africa 612,293 number compare
- 10 Mozambique 542,721 number compare
More reference data data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 16.22 million number (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, both sexes 6.17 years (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 32.03 million number (2019)
- School age population, one year before than official primary entry 15.81 million number (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, female 6.02 years (2019)
- School life expectancy, primary, male 6.33 years (2019)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 94.2% (2018)
- School life expectancy, pre-primary, both sexes 0.78 years (2019)
- Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education, adjusted gender parity 0.767 GPIA (2018)
- Teachers in primary education, male 2.57 million number (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary in Sub-Saharan Africa was 29.56 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 30.96 million number in 1999.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.79 million number in 1970.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 7th out of 45 groups with data for 2019.
- Is out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age who are not enrolled or attending school during in a given academic year. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/