Share of children out of school — all countries

Share of children out of school — Western Africa

Share of children out of school in Western Africa in 2020 — 17.52%. Since 1999, the indicator has fallen by 27.49 pp.

2020 17.52% −4.81 pp vs 2017
World rank —
Period maximum 45.01%1999
Period minimum 17.52%2020

Trend over time

1999–2020 · % of primary school-age children

Share of children out of school — Western Africa, 1999–20201020304050199920022005200820112014201720201999: 45.01%2000: 41.59%2003: 44.64%2004: 38.37%2005: 36.93%2006: 35.87%2007: 33.92%2008: 36.06%2009: 36.31%2010: 36.46%2011: 25.25%2012: 25.77%2014: 25.34%2015: 29.23%2016: 21.98%2017: 22.33%2020: 17.52%
Change over the period: −27.49 pp Annual average: -1.31 pp

Comparison, 2020

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Western Africa

Western Africa 17.52%
World computed 4.81%
Share of children out of school — Western Africa, by year Western Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2020 17.52 —
2017 22.33 +0.35 pp
2016 21.98 −7.24 pp
2015 29.23 +3.89 pp
2014 25.34 —
2012 25.77 +0.52 pp
2011 25.25 −11.2 pp
2010 36.46 +0.15 pp
2009 36.31 +0.25 pp
2008 36.06 +2.14 pp
2007 33.92 −1.95 pp
2006 35.87 −1.06 pp
2005 36.93 −1.44 pp
2004 38.37 −6.26 pp
2003 44.64 —
2000 41.59 −3.42 pp
1999 45.01 —

About the indicator

The share of children of primary school age not attending school. Unlike the absolute count, the indicator speaks to the state of the education system in a country, and it shows that the task does not reduce to poverty: at comparable income the shares differ severalfold, and the highest values come from countries where schooling is obstructed by conflict or by a nomadic way of life.

Important: The aggregate is weighted by the number of children aged 0–14: total population is the wrong weight here — the share of children differs fourfold across countries.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), license CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.