Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 94.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bulgaria, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 94.2% for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bulgaria peaked at 100.0% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 1820.
That places Bulgaria 103rd out of 190 countries with data for 2024, 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 | 4.7% | 4.3% | 5.1% | 2 |
| 1830s | 6.5% | 6.0% | 7.0% | 2 |
| 1840s | 8.8% | 8.1% | 9.4% | 2 |
| 1850s | 11.8% | 10.9% | 12.7% | 2 |
| 1860s | 15.8% | 14.7% | 16.9% | 2 |
| 1870s | 20.7% | 19.3% | 22.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 26.7% | 25.1% | 28.3% | 2 |
| 1890s | 33.5% | 31.8% | 35.2% | 2 |
| 1900s | 54.8% | 38.6% | 71.0% | 2 |
| 1910s | 74.1% | 73.4% | 74.8% | 2 |
| 1920s | 76.8% | 76.2% | 77.5% | 2 |
| 1930s | 79.5% | 78.8% | 80.2% | 2 |
| 1940s | 82.2% | 81.6% | 82.9% | 2 |
| 1950s | 87.2% | 84.3% | 90.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 95.1% | 90.1% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 97.5% | 97.0% | 98.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 96.0% | 96.0% | 96.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 98.5% | 97.8% | 99.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 97.3% | 95.9% | 99.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 94.8% | 94.2% | 95.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More education data for Bulgaria
- Duration of pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 63.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 14.4% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 11 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 95.3% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 22,710 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.75 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 95.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bulgaria?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Bulgaria was 94.2% 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 Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1965.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 1820.
- How does Bulgaria rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Bulgaria ranks 103rd out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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.