Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Canada
Canada: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 95.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Canada, 1820–2023
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 Canada is 95.1%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Canada peaked at 99.7% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 36.4%, in 1820.
That places Canada 96th out of 190 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 36.4% | — |
| 1825 | 39.8% | +9.2% |
| 1830 | 43.2% | +8.7% |
| 1835 | 46.7% | +8.2% |
| 1840 | 50.3% | +7.6% |
| 1845 | 53.9% | +7.1% |
| 1850 | 57.4% | +6.6% |
| 1855 | 60.9% | +6.0% |
| 1860 | 64.2% | +5.5% |
| 1865 | 67.5% | +5.0% |
| 1870 | 70.5% | +4.6% |
| 1875 | 73.5% | +4.1% |
| 1880 | 76.2% | +3.7% |
| 1885 | 78.7% | +3.3% |
| 1890 | 62.3% | -20.9% |
| 1895 | 45.9% | -26.4% |
| 1900 | 42.0% | -8.3% |
| 1905 | 47.3% | +12.5% |
| 1910 | 67.1% | +41.8% |
| 1915 | 67.5% | +0.6% |
| 1920 | 70.9% | +5.0% |
| 1925 | 74.2% | +4.7% |
| 1930 | 77.6% | +4.5% |
| 1935 | 80.9% | +4.3% |
| 1940 | 84.3% | +4.2% |
| 1945 | 87.7% | +4.0% |
| 1950 | 91.0% | +3.8% |
| 1955 | 94.4% | +3.7% |
| 1960 | 72.0% | -23.7% |
| 1965 | 69.0% | -4.2% |
| 1970 | 93.0% | +34.8% |
| 1975 | 92.2% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 93.2% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 99.5% | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 99.7% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 99.4% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 99.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 97.9% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 98.1% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 98.4% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 97.1% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 97.0% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 95.4% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 94.9% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 95.1% | +0.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 95.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 97.4%, 98% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | +41.8% | 47.3% | 67.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 38.1% | 36.4% | 39.8% | 2 |
| 1830s | 45.0% | 43.2% | 46.7% | 2 |
| 1840s | 52.1% | 50.3% | 53.9% | 2 |
| 1850s | 59.1% | 57.4% | 60.9% | 2 |
| 1860s | 65.8% | 64.2% | 67.5% | 2 |
| 1870s | 72.0% | 70.5% | 73.5% | 2 |
| 1880s | 77.5% | 76.2% | 78.7% | 2 |
| 1890s | 54.1% | 45.9% | 62.3% | 2 |
| 1900s | 44.7% | 42.0% | 47.3% | 2 |
| 1910s | 67.3% | 67.1% | 67.5% | 2 |
| 1920s | 72.5% | 70.9% | 74.2% | 2 |
| 1930s | 79.3% | 77.6% | 80.9% | 2 |
| 1940s | 86.0% | 84.3% | 87.7% | 2 |
| 1950s | 92.7% | 91.0% | 94.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 70.5% | 69.0% | 72.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 92.6% | 92.2% | 93.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 93.2% | 93.2% | 93.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.5% | 99.5% | 99.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 98.6% | 97.1% | 99.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 95.6% | 94.9% | 97.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 93 Dominican Republic 95.2% compare
- 94 Mozambique 95.2% compare
- 95 Costa Rica 95.2% compare
- 97 San Marino 95.1% compare
- 98 Fiji 95.1% compare
- 99 Libya 94.9% compare
More education data for Canada
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 133,275 (1996)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2011)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 291,075 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 273,465 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.70 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0607 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Canada?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Canada was 95.1% in 2023, 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 99.7% in 2012.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.4% in 1820.
- How does Canada rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Canada ranks 96th out of 190 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada 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
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.