Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 97.6% in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bangladesh, 1820–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2018, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bangladesh stood at 97.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and up 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bangladesh peaked at 99.3% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
That places Bangladesh 52nd out of 190 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1830s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 1900s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 2 |
| 1910s | 2.4% | 2.0% | 2.7% | 2 |
| 1920s | 4.1% | 3.5% | 4.7% | 2 |
| 1930s | 7.0% | 6.1% | 8.0% | 2 |
| 1940s | 11.8% | 10.3% | 13.3% | 2 |
| 1950s | 18.8% | 16.9% | 20.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 26.8% | 24.5% | 29.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 46.6% | 32.7% | 51.4% | 6 |
| 1980s | 48.7% | 43.7% | 58.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 62.1% | 62.1% | 62.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 92.1% | 87.7% | 95.4% | 4 |
| 2010s | 97.2% | 94.6% | 99.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More education data for Bangladesh
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 27.6% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 11 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 106.5% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 383,624 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 2.14 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 113.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bangladesh?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bangladesh was 97.6% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 99.3% in 2017.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Bangladesh rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Bangladesh ranks 52nd out of 190 countries with data for 2018.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.