Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 97.5% in 2012. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Sierra Leone, 1820–2012
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 Sierra Leone is 97.5%, measured in 2012. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 5.3% on the previous year.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Sierra Leone peaked at 97.5% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
That places Sierra Leone 53rd out of 190 countries with data for 2012, putting it 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 | 0.0% | 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 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 2 |
| 1920s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 2 |
| 1930s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 2 |
| 1940s | 3.2% | 2.8% | 3.6% | 2 |
| 1950s | 5.5% | 4.8% | 6.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 15.3% | 12.8% | 17.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 23.0% | 22.1% | 23.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 38.8% | 38.2% | 39.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 95.1% | 92.6% | 97.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More education data for Sierra Leone
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 59.1% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 37.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 162.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 46,575 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.7 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 166.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Sierra Leone?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Sierra Leone was 97.5% 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 Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 97.5% in 2012.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Sierra Leone ranks 53rd out of 190 countries with data for 2012.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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 — 36 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.