Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in India
India: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 98.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
98.4%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
39th
of 190 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 2008
All-time low
0.0%
in 1820
Years of data
51
1820–2023
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in India, 1820–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in India stood at 98.4%.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in India peaked at 100.0% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
India ranks 39th of 190 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
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 India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 0.0% | — |
| 1825 | 0.0% | +100.0% |
| 1830 | 0.0% | +50.0% |
| 1835 | 0.0% | +0.0% |
| 1840 | 0.1% | +66.7% |
| 1845 | 0.1% | +20.0% |
| 1850 | 0.1% | +33.3% |
| 1855 | 0.1% | +37.5% |
| 1860 | 0.1% | +36.4% |
| 1865 | 0.2% | +33.3% |
| 1870 | 0.3% | +30.0% |
| 1875 | 0.3% | +34.6% |
| 1880 | 0.5% | +37.1% |
| 1885 | 0.6% | +29.2% |
| 1890 | 1.0% | +61.3% |
| 1895 | 1.2% | +24.0% |
| 1900 | 1.3% | +7.3% |
| 1905 | 1.8% | +36.1% |
| 1910 | 2.5% | +39.2% |
| 1915 | 3.1% | +24.6% |
| 1920 | 3.8% | +19.7% |
| 1925 | 4.6% | +23.1% |
| 1930 | 3.9% | -15.8% |
| 1935 | 4.4% | +13.8% |
| 1940 | 6.4% | +43.7% |
| 1945 | 8.1% | +26.3% |
| 1950 | 15.9% | +97.9% |
| 1955 | 22.6% | +41.6% |
| 1960 | 20.4% | -9.6% |
| 1965 | 31.4% | +53.8% |
| 1970 | 44.0% | +40.0% |
| 1971 | 47.7% | +8.5% |
| 1975 | 47.1% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 52.6% | +11.7% |
| 1990 | 65.1% | +23.6% |
| 2000 | 79.9% | +22.8% |
| 2001 | 79.2% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 79.5% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 89.4% | +12.4% |
| 2008 | 100.0% | +11.9% |
| 2009 | 99.1% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 99.4% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 97.6% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 98.9% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 97.1% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 94.9% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 94.4% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 93.3% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 96.5% | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 98.0% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 98.4% | +0.4% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 98.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 90.6%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- India's 98.4% is above the median for South Asia, which is 97.9%, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
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 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 2 |
| 1890s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 2 |
| 1900s | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 2 |
| 1910s | 2.8% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 2 |
| 1920s | 4.2% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 2 |
| 1930s | 4.2% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 2 |
| 1940s | 7.2% | 6.4% | 8.1% | 2 |
| 1950s | 19.3% | 15.9% | 22.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 25.9% | 20.4% | 31.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 46.3% | 44.0% | 47.7% | 3 |
| 1980s | 52.6% | 52.6% | 52.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 65.1% | 65.1% | 65.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 87.8% | 79.2% | 100.0% | 6 |
| 2010s | 96.5% | 93.3% | 99.4% | 7 |
| 2020s | 97.6% | 96.5% | 98.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in India?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in India was 98.4% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2008.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does India rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- India ranks 39th out of 190 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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.