Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): UHC service coverage index

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s UHC service coverage index rose 0.45 on 2022 (from 46.36 to 46.81).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was +0.9 and a typical year strayed about 0.82 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.42 in 2006 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.54 in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.51 a year. A straight line explains 95% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 48.6 for 2026. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2021 to 2023 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.92, against 1.69 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

A composite index representing coverage of essential health services based on 14 tracer indicators in the areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases and service capacity and access. It is presented on a scale of 0 to 100 index points.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 24 values

UHC service coverage index in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 42 (2023)
• Algeria — 70 (2023)
• Bahrain — 78 (2023)
• Djibouti — 47 (2023)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 71 (2023)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 81 (2023)
• Iraq — 64 (2023)
• Israel — 85 (2023)
• Jordan — 74 (2023)
• Kuwait — 84 (2023)
• Lebanon — 67 (2023)
• Libya

More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 14.57% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 15.02% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 263.9 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 39.81% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 269.76 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 40.95% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 533.66 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s UHC service coverage index?

46.81 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 76.21% from 26.57 in 2000 (2.49% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 46.81 in 2023 and the lowest 25.46 in 2003.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH_UHC_SCI, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Universal Health Coverage Dataset, World Health Organization (WHO), uri: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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