Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Namibia
Namibia: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 98.7% in 2012. ▲ Rising
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Namibia, 1989–2012
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2012, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Namibia stood at 98.7%. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Namibia peaked at 98.7% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 88.8%, in 1989.
That places Namibia 29th out of 190 countries with data for 2012, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 88.8% | — |
| 1990 | 88.9% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 93.8% | +5.4% |
| 1998 | 92.5% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 90.8% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 90.0% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 90.0% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 91.3% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 91.7% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 90.5% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 92.3% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 90.6% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 94.5% | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 94.2% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 95.1% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 95.9% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 96.9% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 98.7% | +1.8% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 98.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 90.6%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 98.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 86.4%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 88.8% | 88.8% | 88.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 91.5% | 88.9% | 93.8% | 4 |
| 2000s | 92.0% | 90.0% | 95.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 97.2% | 95.9% | 98.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More education data for Namibia
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.68 (2012)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.13 (2024)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 10,653 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 90,003 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 26,964 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 27,746 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 236,050 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,029 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.48 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Namibia?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Namibia was 98.7% in 2012, 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 98.7% in 2012.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 88.8% in 1989.
- How does Namibia rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Namibia ranks 29th out of 190 countries with data for 2012.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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.