Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Eswatini
Eswatini: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 95.4% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Eswatini, 1820–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Eswatini stood at 95.4%. That is the highest value across all 69 years on record.
That represents a change of up 5.7% on the previous year and up 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Eswatini peaked at 95.4% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
Eswatini ranks 89th of 190 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 0.0% | — |
| 1825 | 0.0% | — |
| 1830 | 0.0% | — |
| 1835 | 0.0% | — |
| 1840 | 0.0% | — |
| 1845 | 0.0% | — |
| 1850 | 0.0% | — |
| 1855 | 0.0% | — |
| 1860 | 0.0% | — |
| 1865 | 0.0% | — |
| 1870 | 0.0% | — |
| 1875 | 0.0% | — |
| 1880 | 0.0% | — |
| 1885 | 0.0% | — |
| 1890 | 0.0% | — |
| 1895 | 0.0% | — |
| 1900 | 0.0% | — |
| 1905 | 0.2% | — |
| 1910 | 0.7% | +182.6% |
| 1915 | 1.4% | +113.8% |
| 1920 | 2.6% | +89.9% |
| 1925 | 4.7% | +76.5% |
| 1930 | 7.8% | +67.4% |
| 1935 | 12.5% | +60.0% |
| 1940 | 19.0% | +52.6% |
| 1945 | 27.7% | +45.3% |
| 1950 | 38.0% | +37.6% |
| 1955 | 50.1% | +31.6% |
| 1960 | 41.7% | -16.8% |
| 1965 | 48.4% | +16.1% |
| 1970 | 56.8% | +17.5% |
| 1971 | 57.1% | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 59.7% | +4.5% |
| 1973 | 63.4% | +6.1% |
| 1974 | 65.6% | +3.6% |
| 1975 | 68.9% | +5.0% |
| 1976 | 70.4% | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 72.0% | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 72.9% | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 74.0% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 82.9% | +12.0% |
| 1981 | 78.3% | -5.6% |
| 1982 | 77.0% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 75.9% | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 75.1% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 76.4% | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 74.8% | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 75.5% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 74.6% | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 74.3% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 75.7% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 75.4% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 75.7% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 73.9% | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 74.8% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 76.2% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 74.0% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 79.5% | +7.4% |
| 2010 | 86.0% | +8.1% |
| 2011 | 89.1% | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 86.4% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 84.7% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 87.0% | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 87.4% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 88.2% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 88.0% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 88.8% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 90.2% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 95.4% | +5.7% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 95.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 90.6%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 95.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 86.4%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Eswatini 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 | +182.6% | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| 1915 | +113.8% | 0.7% | 1.4% |
| 1920 | +89.9% | 1.4% | 2.6% |
| 1925 | +76.5% | 2.6% | 4.7% |
| 1930 | +67.4% | 4.7% | 7.8% |
| 1935 | +60.0% | 7.8% | 12.5% |
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 | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1910s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 1920s | 3.7% | 2.6% | 4.7% | 2 |
| 1930s | 10.1% | 7.8% | 12.5% | 2 |
| 1940s | 23.4% | 19.0% | 27.7% | 2 |
| 1950s | 44.1% | 38.0% | 50.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 45.0% | 41.7% | 48.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 66.1% | 56.8% | 74.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 76.5% | 74.3% | 82.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.1% | 73.9% | 76.2% | 7 |
| 2000s | 79.5% | 79.5% | 79.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 87.6% | 84.7% | 90.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 95.4% | 95.4% | 95.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
- 86 French Polynesia 95.5% compare
- 87 Cambodia 95.4% compare
- 88 Nauru 95.4% compare
- 90 Grenada 95.4% compare
- 91 East Timor 95.3% compare
- 92 Uzbekistan 95.3% compare
More education data for Eswatini
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7,225 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,165 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 12,768 (2015)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 11,269 (2015)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 108,288 (2016)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 222,351 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.236 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1807 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Eswatini?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Eswatini was 95.4% in 2022, 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 Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 95.4% in 2022.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Eswatini rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Eswatini ranks 89th out of 190 countries with data for 2022.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Eswatini 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 — 69 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.