Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 96.0% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Papua New Guinea, 1989–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Papua New Guinea recorded 96.0% for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and up 42.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Papua New Guinea peaked at 97.5% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 66.2%, in 2014.
Papua New Guinea ranks 77th of 190 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 68.0% | — |
| 2012 | 67.6% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 66.2% | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 88.0% | +33.0% |
| 2019 | 97.5% | +10.8% |
| 2020 | 96.0% | -1.5% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 96.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 90.6%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 96.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 95.4%, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 68.0% | 68.0% | 68.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 79.8% | 66.2% | 97.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 96.0% | 96.0% | 96.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 74 Sao Tome and Principe 96.3% compare
- 75 United States 96.2% compare
- 76 Greece 96.0% compare
- 78 Bahrain 95.9% compare
- 79 Cayman Islands 95.9% compare
- 80 Ghana 95.9% compare
More education data for Papua New Guinea
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 96.03 (2020)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 96 (2021)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 14,791 (2016)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 80,915 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 226,545 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 208,353 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 655,030 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.65 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 10.31 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Papua New Guinea?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Papua New Guinea was 96.0% in 2020, 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 Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 97.5% in 2019.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.2% in 2014.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 77th out of 190 countries with data for 2020.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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.