School enrollment, primary, female (% net) by country
Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history,...
Countries reporting
167
Highest
99.8%
Malaysia
Lowest
10.9%
Somalia
Median
92.7%
Years covered
50
1970–2019
Data points
4,826
What the numbers show
School enrollment, primary, female (% net) is currently reported for 167 countries. The highest value is 99.8% in Malaysia; the lowest is 10.9% in Somalia.
The median across all reporting countries is 92.7%, and the mean is 87.7%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 9.
Over the past decade 98 countries rose and 58 fell. The largest increase was in Benin (up 75.6%), and the largest decrease in Democratic Republic of Congo (down 36.5%).
School enrollment, primary, female: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malaysia | 99.8% | 2014 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 2 | Norway | 99.8% | 2014 | up 0.4% | flat |
| 3 | Iceland | 99.4% | 2016 | up 2.7% | flat |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 99.3% | 2017 | up 2.7% | flat |
| 5 | Malta | 99.1% | 1997 | up 4.5% | rising |
| 6 | France | 99.1% | 2016 | up 3.8% | flat |
| 7 | Netherlands | 99.1% | 2017 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 8 | Canada | 99.0% | 1998 | up 3.9% | flat |
| 9 | Belgium | 98.9% | 2017 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 10 | New Zealand | 98.9% | 2016 | — | flat |
| 11 | Slovenia | 98.8% | 2014 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 12 | Egypt | 98.8% | 2012 | up 13.9% | rising |
| 13 | Finland | 98.8% | 2017 | up 1.4% | flat |
| 14 | Tunisia | 98.6% | 2009 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 15 | Denmark | 98.5% | 2015 | up 2.4% | flat |
| 16 | Greece | 98.5% | 2017 | up 4.1% | flat |
| 17 | Fiji | 98.4% | 2015 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 18 | Georgia | 98.2% | 2016 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 19 | Brunei | 98.1% | 1995 | up 27.0% | rising |
| 20 | Sweden | 98.1% | 2008 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 21 | Cyprus | 97.9% | 2017 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 22 | Thailand | 97.9% | 2009 | — | rising |
| 23 | Aruba | 97.7% | 2009 | down 0.8% | flat |
| 24 | Spain | 97.6% | 2017 | — | flat |
| 25 | Cuba | 97.5% | 2018 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 26 | Iran | 97.5% | 2012 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 27 | Ireland | 97.3% | 2011 | up 3.2% | falling |
| 28 | Mauritius | 97.2% | 2013 | up 2.2% | rising |
| 29 | Portugal | 97.2% | 2017 | — | rising |
| 30 | South Korea | 97.2% | 2017 | down 2.4% | flat |
| 31 | Morocco | 97.0% | 2017 | up 10.8% | rising |
| 32 | Uganda | 96.9% | 2013 | — | rising |
| 33 | Russia | 96.8% | 2016 | up 7.4% | flat |
| 34 | Latvia | 96.8% | 2017 | down 0.0% | flat |
| 35 | Australia | 96.7% | 2017 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 36 | Uruguay | 96.6% | 2014 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 37 | Maldives | 96.4% | 2017 | down 1.2% | flat |
| 38 | Macao | 96.4% | 2018 | up 12.2% | rising |
| 39 | Sri Lanka | 96.4% | 2014 | down 3.4% | flat |
| 40 | Costa Rica | 96.3% | 2017 | — | rising |
| 41 | Oman | 96.2% | 2011 | up 14.8% | rising |
| 42 | Namibia | 96.1% | 2012 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 43 | Montenegro | 96.1% | 2017 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 44 | Saint Lucia | 96.1% | 2018 | up 4.7% | flat |
| 45 | Ecuador | 96.1% | 2008 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 46 | Tajikistan | 96.0% | 2016 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 47 | Nicaragua | 96.0% | 2010 | up 17.1% | rising |
| 48 | Bahrain | 95.9% | 2018 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 49 | Barbados | 95.7% | 2018 | down 1.3% | flat |
| 50 | Poland | 95.6% | 2017 | up 2.4% | flat |
| 51 | Algeria | 95.5% | 2008 | up 13.3% | rising |
| 52 | Italy | 95.4% | 2017 | — | flat |
| 53 | Mongolia | 95.2% | 2015 | up 8.1% | rising |
| 54 | Qatar | 95.2% | 2018 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 55 | Rwanda | 95.1% | 2018 | up 9.7% | rising |
| 56 | Luxembourg | 95.1% | 2015 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 57 | Palestine | 95.0% | 2018 | up 13.5% | rising |
| 58 | Belize | 95.0% | 2013 | up 2.8% | flat |
| 59 | North Macedonia | 94.9% | 2017 | up 11.7% | flat |
| 60 | Trinidad and Tobago | 94.8% | 2010 | up 1.1% | flat |
| 61 | Belarus | 94.8% | 2018 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 62 | Chile | 94.8% | 2017 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 63 | Brazil | 94.7% | 2015 | up 2.8% | flat |
| 64 | Serbia | 94.6% | 2018 | down 2.4% | flat |
| 65 | United States | 94.6% | 2017 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 66 | Saudi Arabia | 94.4% | 2018 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 67 | Estonia | 94.2% | 2017 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 68 | Hong Kong | 94.2% | 1996 | down 2.4% | rising |
| 69 | Burundi | 94.1% | 2018 | up 2.4% | volatile |
| 70 | British Virgin Islands | 94.0% | 2013 | down 0.2% | flat |
| 71 | Albania | 93.7% | 2013 | up 1.6% | falling |
| 72 | Philippines | 93.7% | 2017 | up 6.2% | flat |
| 73 | Bangladesh | 93.7% | 2008 | — | rising |
| 74 | Switzerland | 93.6% | 2012 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 75 | Lesotho | 93.4% | 2017 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 76 | Seychelles | 93.3% | 2002 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 77 | Uzbekistan | 93.3% | 2014 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 78 | Colombia | 93.2% | 2018 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 79 | Grenada | 93.1% | 2005 | — | flat |
| 80 | Peru | 93.1% | 2015 | down 5.6% | rising |
| 81 | India | 93.0% | 2013 | up 12.1% | rising |
| 82 | Sao Tome and Principe | 93.0% | 2017 | up 2.9% | flat |
| 83 | East Timor | 92.9% | 2018 | up 14.5% | rising |
| 84 | Bolivia | 92.7% | 2018 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 85 | Dominican Republic | 92.7% | 2018 | up 10.1% | rising |
| 86 | Ukraine | 92.7% | 2014 | up 5.6% | flat |
| 87 | Cape Verde | 92.6% | 2018 | down 2.8% | flat |
| 88 | Mozambique | 92.5% | 2018 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 89 | Azerbaijan | 92.2% | 2018 | up 10.4% | flat |
| 90 | Congo | 91.6% | 2012 | up 62.3% | falling |
| 91 | Germany | 91.3% | 2016 | up 2.6% | flat |
| 92 | Indonesia | 91.0% | 2018 | down 1.4% | rising |
| 93 | Laos | 90.6% | 2018 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 94 | Bermuda | 90.6% | 2012 | — | rising |
| 95 | Armenia | 90.5% | 2018 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 96 | Guyana | 90.4% | 2010 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 97 | Cambodia | 90.2% | 2018 | down 2.7% | rising |
| 98 | Hungary | 90.1% | 2017 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 99 | Austria | 89.7% | 2016 | up 0.9% | falling |
| 100 | Zimbabwe | 89.4% | 2003 | up 4.5% | flat |
| 101 | Kyrgyzstan | 88.8% | 2012 | up 3.8% | flat |
| 102 | Cameroon | 88.7% | 2017 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 103 | Bhutan | 88.5% | 2018 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 104 | Myanmar | 88.4% | 2010 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 105 | China | 88.4% | 1997 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 106 | Togo | 88.3% | 2018 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 107 | Dominica | 88.1% | 2009 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 108 | Botswana | 88.1% | 2014 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 109 | Suriname | 87.7% | 2018 | down 2.6% | falling |
| 110 | Tonga | 87.7% | 1999 | down 5.8% | flat |
| 111 | Croatia | 87.4% | 2011 | down 2.1% | flat |
| 112 | Paraguay | 87.3% | 2012 | down 8.2% | rising |
| 113 | Venezuela | 87.2% | 2017 | down 5.3% | flat |
| 114 | Turkey | 87.2% | 2017 | down 10.2% | rising |
| 115 | San Marino | 87.2% | 2000 | up 0.6% | flat |
| 116 | Guatemala | 87.0% | 2018 | down 6.4% | rising |
| 117 | Iraq | 86.9% | 2007 | up 21.7% | rising |
| 118 | Kuwait | 86.9% | 2018 | down 8.5% | rising |
| 119 | United Arab Emirates | 86.8% | 2013 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 120 | South Africa | 86.7% | 2017 | down 2.4% | rising |
| 121 | Ghana | 86.6% | 2019 | up 19.5% | rising |
| 122 | Cote d'Ivoire | 86.6% | 2018 | up 71.6% | rising |
| 123 | Bulgaria | 86.3% | 2017 | down 9.0% | falling |
| 124 | Moldova | 86.2% | 2018 | down 0.9% | falling |
| 125 | Panama | 85.9% | 2017 | down 12.0% | rising |
| 126 | Zambia | 84.9% | 2017 | down 5.9% | rising |
| 127 | Slovakia | 84.1% | 2017 | down 4.2% | flat |
| 128 | Benin | 83.6% | 2008 | up 75.6% | rising |
| 129 | Tanzania | 82.8% | 2018 | down 16.1% | rising |
| 130 | Eswatini | 82.4% | 2017 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 131 | Romania | 82.0% | 2017 | down 12.3% | flat |
| 132 | Kenya | 81.7% | 2012 | up 37.0% | rising |
| 133 | Ethiopia | 81.5% | 2015 | up 42.4% | rising |
| 134 | El Salvador | 81.4% | 2018 | down 13.7% | rising |
| 135 | Jamaica | 81.3% | 2018 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 136 | Honduras | 80.9% | 2017 | down 1.6% | flat |
| 137 | Mauritania | 80.9% | 2018 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 138 | Comoros | 80.7% | 2018 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 139 | Gambia | 80.6% | 2018 | up 21.6% | rising |
| 140 | Vanuatu | 80.6% | 2015 | down 16.0% | rising |
| 141 | Jordan | 80.2% | 2018 | down 3.8% | falling |
| 142 | Senegal | 79.6% | 2017 | up 14.0% | rising |
| 143 | Yemen | 78.7% | 2016 | up 19.0% | rising |
| 144 | Madagascar | 77.8% | 2003 | up 35.2% | rising |
| 145 | Burkina Faso | 77.7% | 2018 | up 39.9% | volatile |
| 146 | Puerto Rico | 76.8% | 2016 | down 16.9% | falling |
| 147 | Bahamas | 75.1% | 2018 | down 12.0% | falling |
| 148 | Nepal | 74.8% | 2004 | up 31.2% | rising |
| 149 | Guinea-Bissau | 69.5% | 2010 | up 71.4% | rising |
| 150 | Guinea | 68.8% | 2016 | up 16.1% | rising |
| 151 | Solomon Islands | 67.8% | 2018 | down 14.5% | falling |
| 152 | Angola | 67.3% | 2011 | up 60.3% | rising |
| 153 | Syria | 67.0% | 2013 | down 26.3% | rising |
| 154 | Djibouti | 66.5% | 2019 | up 38.6% | rising |
| 155 | Chad | 64.1% | 2016 | up 35.8% | rising |
| 156 | Pakistan | 61.6% | 2018 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 157 | Niger | 60.2% | 2017 | up 64.3% | rising |
| 158 | Central African Republic | 59.0% | 2012 | up 46.1% | rising |
| 159 | Sudan | 58.9% | 2017 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 160 | Nigeria | 58.1% | 2010 | down 1.8% | flat |
| 161 | Haiti | 57.4% | 1997 | up 34.5% | rising |
| 162 | Mali | 55.8% | 2018 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 163 | Eritrea | 49.0% | 2018 | down 27.8% | rising |
| 164 | Liberia | 44.4% | 2017 | up 22.9% | flat |
| 165 | Equatorial Guinea | 44.0% | 2015 | down 30.2% | falling |
| 166 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 35.9% | 1999 | down 36.5% | falling |
| 167 | Somalia | 10.9% | 1980 | — | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Euro area 97.6%
- European Union 96.9%
- Post-demographic dividend 96.2%
- High income 96.1%
- Late-demographic dividend 96.1%
- East Asia & Pacific 95.6%
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 95.6%
- OECD members 95.5%
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 95.5%
- Upper middle income 95.1%
- Europe & Central Asia 94.9%
- North America 94.9%
- IBRD only 94.0%
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 94.0%
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 93.9%
- Latin America & Caribbean 93.9%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 92.1%
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 92.0%
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 91.7%
- Central Europe and the Baltics 91.4%
- Early-demographic dividend 89.6%
- Middle income 89.2%
- World 88.2%
- Caribbean Small States 87.8%
- IDA & IBRD total 87.3%
- Low & middle income 87.3%
- South Asia 86.8%
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 86.8%
- Small states 86.1%
- Other small states 86.0%
- Lower middle income 85.5%
- Pacific island small states 84.1%
- Arab World 82.1%
- IDA only 79.5%
- Least developed countries 78.4%
- Low income 78.3%
- Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) 78.1%
- Pre-demographic dividend 73.3%
- Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 72.4%
About this data
Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.