Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 33.7% in 1999. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1820–1999
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 33.7% for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in 1999.
The figure is down 38.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 63.9% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 188th of 190 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
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% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1920s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 2 |
| 1930s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 2 |
| 1940s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2.8% | 2 |
| 1950s | 4.2% | 4.1% | 4.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 36.4% | 28.8% | 43.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 54.7% | 50.0% | 58.9% | 5 |
| 1980s | 60.8% | 54.6% | 63.9% | 4 |
| 1990s | 48.4% | 33.7% | 53.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 185 Cape Verde 48.7% compare
- 186 Equatorial Guinea 34.8% compare
- 187 Tokelau 34.1% compare
- 189 Afghanistan 15.6% compare
- 190 Somalia 11.2% compare
More education data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 51.0% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 45.9% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 117.6% (2023)
- Primary education, teachers 561,172 (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 5.98 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 114.3% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Democratic Republic of Congo was 33.7% in 1999, 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 63.9% in 1984.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 188th out of 190 countries with data for 1999.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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
The share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.