Tanzania: Secondary education, pupils

Key figures

Over five years it is up 56.6% from 1.81 million in 2016 (9.39% a year on average, compounded). Since 1970 it is up 6,199% from 44,941 in 1970 (8.46% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 15 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2021, Tanzania's secondary education, pupils rose 14.1% on 2020 (from 2.48 million to 2.83 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1973 to 2020), the average change was +5.4% and a typical year strayed about 5.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 15.6% in 1985 and the biggest yearly fall was 8.9% in 2015. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2021 the straight-line trend is upward, about 103,363 a year. A straight line explains 66% of the movement over 9 observed years.

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

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Tanzania in the 2021 ranking

• Madagascar — 2nd of 5: 1.62 million
• Gambia, The — 3rd of 5: 369,783
• Botswana — 4th of 5: 175,513

What this measures

Secondary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.

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

All 37 values

Secondary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Angola — 2.59 million (2023)
• Benin — 929,099 (2022)
• Botswana — 175,513 (2021)
• Burkina Faso — 1.19 million (2024)
• Burundi — 590,027 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 55,831 (2022)
• Cameroon — 2.01 million (2023)
• Central African Republic — 137,844 (2017)
• Chad — 764,990 (2024)
• Comoros — 67,764 (2022)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 7.93 million (2023)

More education data for Tanzania

• Primary school starting age (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 14 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 11.39 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 92.69% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 95.33% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 90.09% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 229,840 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Tanzania's secondary education, pupils?

2.83 million in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 6,199% from 44,941 in 1970 (8.46% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 2.83 million in 2021 and the lowest 44,941 in 1970.

Is the latest change in secondary education, pupils unusual for Tanzania?

In 2021, Tanzania's secondary education, pupils rose 14.1% on 2020 (from 2.48 million to 2.83 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1973 to 2020), the average change was +5.4% and a typical year strayed about 5.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API..

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.ENRL, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. 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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