Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 90.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zimbabwe, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 90.4% for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zimbabwe peaked at 99.1% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1820.
Zimbabwe ranks 126th of 190 countries on this measure, 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 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1900s | 3.8% | 2.4% | 5.2% | 2 |
| 1910s | 13.7% | 9.6% | 17.8% | 2 |
| 1920s | 30.2% | 26.1% | 34.3% | 2 |
| 1930s | 46.6% | 42.5% | 50.8% | 2 |
| 1940s | 63.1% | 59.0% | 67.2% | 2 |
| 1950s | 82.5% | 75.4% | 89.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 70.3% | 68.0% | 72.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 52.0% | 51.6% | 52.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 44.5% | 44.5% | 44.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 89.0% | 86.7% | 91.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 96.4% | 95.0% | 99.1% | 4 |
| 2010s | 85.7% | 81.7% | 92.5% | 8 |
| 2020s | 90.2% | 84.0% | 92.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More education data for Zimbabwe
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.2% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.3% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 93.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 90,330 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.67 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 93.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zimbabwe?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Zimbabwe was 90.4% 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 99.1% in 2001.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1820.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Zimbabwe ranks 126th out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.