Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 99.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Saudi Arabia, 1979–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Saudi Arabia stood at 99.7%. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Saudi Arabia peaked at 99.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 50.4%, in 1979.
Saudi Arabia ranks 8th of 190 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 50.4% | 50.4% | 50.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 96.9% | 95.3% | 98.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 98.2% | 97.2% | 99.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 5 United Arab Emirates 99.9% compare
- 6 Switzerland 99.9% compare
- 7 United Kingdom 99.7% compare
- 9 Cyprus 99.7% compare
- 10 Netherlands 99.6% compare
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 73.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 23.6% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 104.0% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 244,652 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 2.31 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 104.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Saudi Arabia?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Saudi Arabia was 99.7% 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 99.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.4% in 1979.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 8th out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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
The share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.