Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Senegal
Senegal: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 84.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Senegal, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Senegal is 84.6%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Senegal peaked at 85.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
That places Senegal 151st out of 190 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom 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 Senegal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 0.0% | — |
| 1825 | 0.0% | — |
| 1830 | 0.0% | — |
| 1835 | 0.0% | +0.0% |
| 1840 | 0.0% | +0.0% |
| 1845 | 0.0% | +0.0% |
| 1850 | 0.0% | +0.0% |
| 1855 | 0.0% | +100.0% |
| 1860 | 0.0% | +0.0% |
| 1865 | 0.0% | +50.0% |
| 1870 | 0.0% | +33.3% |
| 1875 | 0.1% | +25.0% |
| 1880 | 0.1% | +40.0% |
| 1885 | 0.1% | +28.6% |
| 1890 | 0.1% | +33.3% |
| 1895 | 0.2% | +33.3% |
| 1900 | 0.2% | +25.0% |
| 1905 | 0.3% | +35.0% |
| 1910 | 0.3% | +29.6% |
| 1915 | 0.5% | +28.6% |
| 1920 | 0.6% | +28.9% |
| 1925 | 0.8% | +31.0% |
| 1930 | 1.0% | +28.9% |
| 1935 | 1.3% | +29.6% |
| 1940 | 1.6% | +29.9% |
| 1945 | 2.1% | +29.7% |
| 1950 | 2.8% | +29.0% |
| 1955 | 8.2% | +195.7% |
| 1960 | 13.2% | +61.3% |
| 1965 | 22.4% | +70.6% |
| 1970 | 23.2% | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 24.0% | +3.3% |
| 1978 | 23.6% | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 25.7% | +8.8% |
| 1980 | 26.7% | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 27.4% | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 28.7% | +4.7% |
| 1983 | 30.3% | +5.5% |
| 1984 | 31.1% | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 31.9% | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 35.2% | +10.4% |
| 1988 | 36.4% | +3.5% |
| 1990 | 36.4% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 36.8% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 43.0% | +16.8% |
| 1997 | 47.5% | +10.6% |
| 1998 | 50.8% | +6.9% |
| 1999 | 49.8% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 54.3% | +8.9% |
| 2003 | 62.7% | +15.6% |
| 2004 | 63.0% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 64.5% | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 68.0% | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 70.9% | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 72.6% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 73.2% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 74.5% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 75.4% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 78.9% | +4.6% |
| 2013 | 78.2% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 79.2% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 79.6% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 81.5% | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 84.0% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 82.6% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 83.5% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 85.1% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 84.6% | -0.5% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 84.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 90.6%, 93% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Senegal's 84.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 86.4%, 98% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Senegal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | +195.7% | 2.8% | 8.2% |
| 1855 | +100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1965 | +70.6% | 13.2% | 22.4% |
| 1960 | +61.3% | 8.2% | 13.2% |
| 1865 | +50.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1860s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1870s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 2 |
| 1920s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1930s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 2 |
| 1940s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 2 |
| 1950s | 5.5% | 2.8% | 8.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 17.8% | 13.2% | 22.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 24.1% | 23.2% | 25.7% | 4 |
| 1980s | 31.0% | 26.7% | 36.4% | 8 |
| 1990s | 44.1% | 36.4% | 50.8% | 6 |
| 2000s | 66.1% | 54.3% | 73.2% | 8 |
| 2010s | 78.2% | 74.5% | 81.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 84.0% | 82.6% | 85.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
More education data for Senegal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 55,703 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 64,252 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 162,919 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 181,550 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.28 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4401 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.127 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Senegal?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Senegal was 84.6% 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 Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 85.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Senegal rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Senegal ranks 151st out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Senegal 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 — 68 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.