Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Switzerland
Switzerland: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 99.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
99.9%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
6th
of 190 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 1890
All-time low
59.9%
in 1820
Years of data
44
1820–2024
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Switzerland, 1820–2024
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 Switzerland stood at 99.9%.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Switzerland peaked at 100.0% in 1890 and was at its lowest, 59.9%, in 1820.
That places Switzerland 6th out of 190 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 59.9% | — |
| 1825 | 63.2% | +5.4% |
| 1830 | 66.3% | +5.0% |
| 1835 | 68.9% | +3.9% |
| 1840 | 71.5% | +3.8% |
| 1845 | 74.0% | +3.6% |
| 1850 | 76.6% | +3.5% |
| 1855 | 79.2% | +3.4% |
| 1860 | 81.8% | +3.3% |
| 1865 | 84.4% | +3.2% |
| 1870 | 87.0% | +3.1% |
| 1875 | 89.6% | +3.0% |
| 1880 | 92.2% | +2.9% |
| 1885 | 96.1% | +4.3% |
| 1890 | 100.0% | +4.1% |
| 1895 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 85.6% | -14.4% |
| 1915 | 85.3% | -0.3% |
| 1920 | 85.1% | -0.3% |
| 1925 | 84.9% | -0.3% |
| 1930 | 84.6% | -0.3% |
| 1935 | 84.4% | -0.3% |
| 1940 | 84.2% | -0.3% |
| 1945 | 83.9% | -0.3% |
| 1950 | 83.7% | -0.3% |
| 1955 | 87.2% | +4.2% |
| 1960 | 100.0% | +14.7% |
| 1965 | 81.0% | -19.0% |
| 1970 | 79.1% | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 85.6% | +8.2% |
| 1980 | 94.9% | +10.9% |
| 2011 | 99.0% | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 98.7% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 100.0% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 99.9% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 99.9% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 99.9% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 99.8% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 99.8% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 99.9% | +0.1% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 99.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 97.4%, 1.0× the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 99.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 98.2%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 61.5% | 59.9% | 63.2% | 2 |
| 1830s | 67.6% | 66.3% | 68.9% | 2 |
| 1840s | 72.8% | 71.5% | 74.0% | 2 |
| 1850s | 77.9% | 76.6% | 79.2% | 2 |
| 1860s | 83.1% | 81.8% | 84.4% | 2 |
| 1870s | 88.3% | 87.0% | 89.6% | 2 |
| 1880s | 94.1% | 92.2% | 96.1% | 2 |
| 1890s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1900s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1910s | 85.5% | 85.3% | 85.6% | 2 |
| 1920s | 85.0% | 84.9% | 85.1% | 2 |
| 1930s | 84.5% | 84.4% | 84.6% | 2 |
| 1940s | 84.1% | 83.9% | 84.2% | 2 |
| 1950s | 85.5% | 83.7% | 87.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 90.5% | 81.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 82.4% | 79.1% | 85.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 94.9% | 94.9% | 94.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 99.6% | 98.7% | 100.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
- 3 Azerbaijan 100.0% compare
- 4 Australia 99.9% compare
- 5 United Arab Emirates 99.9% compare
- 7 United Kingdom 99.7% compare
- 8 Saudi Arabia 99.7% compare
- 9 Cyprus 99.7% compare
More education data for Switzerland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 68,266 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 5,583 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 94,990 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 89,549 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 636,381 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 556,945 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0618 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Switzerland?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Switzerland was 99.9% 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1890.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.9% in 1820.
- How does Switzerland rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Switzerland ranks 6th out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland 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
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About this data
Share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.