Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Mexico
Mexico: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 92.1% in 1980. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Mexico, 1820–1980
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 1980, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Mexico stood at 92.1%. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is up 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Mexico peaked at 92.1% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 1820.
Mexico ranks 119th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 1830s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 2 |
| 1840s | 2.1% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 2 |
| 1850s | 3.4% | 3.0% | 3.8% | 2 |
| 1860s | 5.3% | 4.7% | 5.9% | 2 |
| 1870s | 8.3% | 7.4% | 9.2% | 2 |
| 1880s | 12.7% | 11.4% | 14.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 18.9% | 17.1% | 20.7% | 2 |
| 1900s | 27.5% | 27.1% | 27.9% | 2 |
| 1910s | 33.5% | 31.7% | 35.4% | 2 |
| 1920s | 41.0% | 39.1% | 42.8% | 2 |
| 1930s | 48.4% | 46.6% | 50.3% | 2 |
| 1940s | 55.9% | 54.0% | 57.7% | 2 |
| 1950s | 66.7% | 61.5% | 71.9% | 2 |
| 1960s | 60.6% | 55.2% | 66.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 82.6% | 81.0% | 84.2% | 2 |
| 1980s | 92.1% | 92.1% | 92.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More education data for Mexico
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 67.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 24.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 102.3% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 571,832 (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.89 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 102.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Mexico?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Mexico was 92.1% in 1980, 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 92.1% in 1980.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 1820.
- How does Mexico rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Mexico ranks 119th out of 190 countries with data for 1980.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Mexico 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 — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.