Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Barbados
Barbados: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 82.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
82.6%
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
158th
of 190 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 1975
All-time low
2.0%
in 1820
Years of data
61
1820–2024
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Barbados, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Barbados is 82.6%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and down 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Barbados peaked at 100.0% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 1820.
Barbados ranks 158th of 190 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 61 years of available data.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Barbados, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 2.0% | — |
| 1825 | 2.5% | +25.6% |
| 1830 | 3.1% | +25.6% |
| 1835 | 3.9% | +25.2% |
| 1840 | 4.9% | +25.2% |
| 1845 | 6.1% | +24.6% |
| 1850 | 7.6% | +24.5% |
| 1855 | 9.4% | +23.7% |
| 1860 | 11.6% | +23.3% |
| 1865 | 14.3% | +22.6% |
| 1870 | 17.4% | +21.8% |
| 1875 | 21.0% | +20.8% |
| 1880 | 25.1% | +19.7% |
| 1885 | 29.8% | +18.6% |
| 1890 | 38.1% | +27.7% |
| 1895 | 46.4% | +21.7% |
| 1900 | 54.6% | +17.9% |
| 1905 | 62.9% | +15.1% |
| 1910 | 71.2% | +13.2% |
| 1915 | 70.9% | -0.4% |
| 1920 | 70.6% | -0.4% |
| 1925 | 70.3% | -0.4% |
| 1930 | 70.0% | -0.4% |
| 1935 | 69.7% | -0.4% |
| 1940 | 69.4% | -0.4% |
| 1945 | 69.1% | -0.4% |
| 1950 | 68.8% | -0.4% |
| 1955 | 71.0% | +3.2% |
| 1960 | 81.4% | +14.7% |
| 1965 | 78.8% | -3.1% |
| 1970 | 89.0% | +12.9% |
| 1971 | 87.2% | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 86.9% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 85.7% | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 100.0% | +16.7% |
| 1976 | 88.8% | -11.2% |
| 1977 | 92.3% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 95.7% | +3.8% |
| 1979 | 97.6% | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 97.0% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 97.6% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 94.0% | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 89.0% | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 97.2% | +9.2% |
| 2006 | 97.3% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 98.3% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 98.2% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 97.0% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 98.3% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 96.9% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 94.4% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 95.2% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 96.5% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 92.9% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 93.4% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 93.1% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 91.9% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 90.1% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 87.5% | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 85.1% | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 82.6% | -2.8% |
Barbados compared with similar countries
- Barbados's 82.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 97.4%, 85% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Barbados's 82.6% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 93.2%, 89% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 1830s | 3.5% | 3.1% | 3.9% | 2 |
| 1840s | 5.5% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 2 |
| 1850s | 8.5% | 7.6% | 9.4% | 2 |
| 1860s | 13.0% | 11.6% | 14.3% | 2 |
| 1870s | 19.2% | 17.4% | 21.0% | 2 |
| 1880s | 27.5% | 25.1% | 29.8% | 2 |
| 1890s | 42.2% | 38.1% | 46.4% | 2 |
| 1900s | 58.8% | 54.6% | 62.9% | 2 |
| 1910s | 71.0% | 70.9% | 71.2% | 2 |
| 1920s | 70.4% | 70.3% | 70.6% | 2 |
| 1930s | 69.8% | 69.7% | 70.0% | 2 |
| 1940s | 69.2% | 69.1% | 69.4% | 2 |
| 1950s | 69.9% | 68.8% | 71.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 80.1% | 78.8% | 81.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 91.5% | 85.7% | 100.0% | 9 |
| 1980s | 97.3% | 97.0% | 97.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 91.5% | 89.0% | 94.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 97.6% | 97.0% | 98.3% | 5 |
| 2010s | 95.1% | 92.9% | 98.3% | 8 |
| 2020s | 87.4% | 82.6% | 91.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
More education data for Barbados
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1,244 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 279 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2,255 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2,277 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 18,457 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16,314 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -5.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0578 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Barbados?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Barbados was 82.6% in 2024, 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 Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1975.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 1820.
- How does Barbados rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Barbados ranks 158th out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Barbados 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.
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About this data
Share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.