Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 74.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ethiopia, 1987–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 74.9% for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in 2024.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ethiopia peaked at 78.6% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 16.5%, in 1994.
Ethiopia ranks 167th of 190 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 24.4% | — |
| 1988 | 24.7% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 24.3% | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 16.5% | -32.0% |
| 1995 | 18.3% | +10.5% |
| 1996 | 21.2% | +15.9% |
| 1998 | 26.7% | +26.0% |
| 1999 | 29.1% | +9.1% |
| 2000 | 33.0% | +13.4% |
| 2001 | 37.1% | +12.3% |
| 2002 | 39.1% | +5.6% |
| 2003 | 40.1% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 43.8% | +9.2% |
| 2005 | 55.0% | +25.4% |
| 2006 | 60.6% | +10.2% |
| 2007 | 66.2% | +9.3% |
| 2008 | 72.0% | +8.8% |
| 2009 | 72.4% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 70.2% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 73.4% | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 74.5% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 78.6% | +5.5% |
| 2015 | 77.3% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 71.2% | -7.8% |
| 2022 | 72.5% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 73.6% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 74.9% | +1.8% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 74.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 68.3%, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 74.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 86.4%, 87% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 24.5% | 24.3% | 24.7% | 3 |
| 1990s | 22.4% | 16.5% | 29.1% | 5 |
| 2000s | 51.9% | 33.0% | 72.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.8% | 70.2% | 78.6% | 5 |
| 2020s | 73.1% | 71.2% | 74.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More education data for Ethiopia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 272,545 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 900,151 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.16 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.03 million (2015)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.93 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1206 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ethiopia?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ethiopia was 74.9% 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 78.6% in 2014.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.5% in 1994.
- How does Ethiopia rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Ethiopia ranks 167th out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.