Share of the population with lower secondary education in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Share of the population with lower secondary education was 48.6% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with lower secondary education in Bangladesh, 1974–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bangladesh recorded 48.6% for share of the population with lower secondary education in 2021. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.9% on the previous year and up 37.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with lower secondary education in Bangladesh peaked at 48.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 1974.
That places Bangladesh 104th out of 135 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Share of the population with lower secondary education in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 7.7% | — |
| 1981 | 12.9% | +67.2% |
| 2001 | 26.7% | +107.7% |
| 2011 | 35.3% | +32.1% |
| 2012 | 36.0% | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 33.7% | -6.5% |
| 2014 | 34.9% | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 40.8% | +17.0% |
| 2016 | 41.5% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 42.6% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 43.6% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 44.7% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 48.6% | +8.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.7% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 12.9% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 26.7% | 26.7% | 26.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 39.3% | 33.7% | 44.7% | 9 |
| 2020s | 48.6% | 48.6% | 48.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
- 101 Costa Rica 52.4% compare
- 102 Belize 52.2% compare
- 103 El Salvador 49.2% compare
- 105 Saint Lucia 46.8% compare
- 106 Zambia 44.1% compare
- 107 Myanmar 42.6% compare
More education data for Bangladesh
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with lower secondary education in Bangladesh?
- Share of the population with lower secondary education in Bangladesh was 48.6% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 48.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 1974.
- How does Bangladesh rank for share of the population with lower secondary education?
- Bangladesh ranks 104th out of 135 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share of the population with lower secondary education rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with lower secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed lower secondary education or higher.