Power in Numbers
A gender lens on education data to drive equity and empowerment
Misconceptions hold back the global fight for a just and equal world. We’re using the EGER database to dispel myths, connect data points, and power change.
False. Across low-income countries (LIC) rural youth are completing lower secondary school at lower rates than their urban peers.
fact ✔
Across 23 LICS, rural girls and boys are less likely to complete lower secondary than urban girls and boys. These location gaps range from 12 percentage points (ppts) up to 50ppts. (12 to 48ppts for girls; 12 to 50ppts for boys).
Across 23 LICS, rural children are less likely to complete lower secondary than their urban peers, regardless of gender.
Somewhat True. While girls and boys complete lower secondary school at similar rates on average (.97 adjusted gender parity index (GPIA) for LICs, GEM 2023), gender disparities emerge when looking at locality.
fact ✔
Only 34% of young people complete lower secondary education in LICs (GEM 2023). In 91% (21 out of 23) of low-income countries, less than one-third of rural girls complete lower secondary school. Rural boys’ lower secondary completion rates drop below one-third in fewer LICs (17 out of 23, or 74% of LIC).
Less than one-third of rural girls complete lower secondary school in 91% of of low-income countries.
True. On average, roughly 38% of girls from LICs complete lower secondary school (Bonfert & Wadhwa, 2024).
fact ✔
While girls are generally not completing lower secondary school in LICs, girls living in rural communities are completing lower secondary school at even lower rates. Countries with the lowest completion rates for rural girls are Niger (0.3%), Central African Republic (1.4%), Chad (3.8%), and Mozambique (3.8%).
Across all LICs, rural girls complete lower secondary school at lower rates than their urban peers.
Myth ✖
Whether girls in West Africa have completed primary school or attended some secondary school, their odds of experiencing child marriage are the same?
False. Though primary school completion reduces girls’ odds of child marriage, attending even some secondary school reduces the odds a lot more.
fact ✔
Overall, across the 21 countries in West and Central Africa where data are available, young women aged 18-24 years who had completed primary school (but did not attend any secondary) were 43% less likely to be married by age 18 than those who attended no schooling or less than primary schooling.
However, girls who attended at least some secondary school were 75% less likely to be married by age 18 than those who only completed primary school.
Myth ✖
In West Africa, girls’ odds of early adolescent childbearing are the same, regardless of whether they have completed primary school or attended some secondary school?
False. Though primary school completion reduces girls’ odds of early childbearing, attending even some secondary school reduces the odds a lot more.
fact ✔
Overall, across the 21 countries in West and Central Africa where data are available, young women aged 18-24 years who had completed primary school (but did not attend any secondary) were 26% less likely to begin childbearing by age 18 than those who attended no schooling or less than primary schooling.
However, girls who attended at least some secondary school were 71% less likely to begin childbearing by age 18 than those who only completed primary school.
False. Young women who are illiterate are more likely to hold inequitable attitudes about violence against women than those who can read.
fact ✔
In 34 of 37 (92%) low- and middle- income countries, young women (aged 15-24) who are illiterate are more likely to accept violence against women by intimate partners than those who are able to read.
This matters because for women, such attitudes are a risk factor for experiencing intimate partner violence.
False. Illiteracy is a risk factor for acceptance of gender-based violence, especially among young women.
fact ✔
Young women (aged 15-24) who are illiterate are approximately 1.5 times as likely to hold attitudes accepting of violence against women by intimate partners than their peers who are literate in 32 low- and middle-income countries.
False. While gender gaps have decreased in many countries overall, among the poor it is still girls who are often the ones missing out.
fact ✔
Poor young women are less literate than poor young men in three quarters of low- and middle-income countries.
Among the poor, young men aged 20-24 are more likely to be literate than young women in 78% (35 out of 45) of low- and middle-income countries. Often by a lot, with gender gaps favoring males by more than 10 percentage points in 25 countries.
False. We’ve made some progress on literacy, but we are still failing millions of children, especially the marginalized.
fact ✔
In many countries, less than half of poor young women and men can read.
For poor young men (aged 20-24), less than half are literate in 47% (21 out of 45) of low- and middle-income countries. For young women, the figures are worse: in 73% (33 out of 45) of low- and middle-income countries, less than half of poor young women (aged 20-24) can read.
False. There are still large numbers of children that never complete primary school, especially among the poorest.
fact ✔
Less than half of poor girls and boys complete primary school in 37 countries.
Specifically, in 54% (37 out of 69) of low- and middle-income countries, less than half of poor girls and boys complete primary school. In 24 of those countries, the percent of primary school graduates is even lower, with less than a third of poor children finishing primary school.
False. Despite some improvements, girls, especially poor girls, are less likely to complete lower secondary school in many countries.
fact ✔
Only one out of ten (or fewer) poor girls complete lower secondary school in 41% (28 out of 68) of low- and middle-income countries.
Poor boys fare better than poor girls, but we are letting many boys down too. Among poor boys, less than 10% finish lower secondary school in 32% (22 out of 68) of low- and middle-income countries.
Key Takeaways
Asking the right questions highlights urgent data and can power transformative change. Here are a few evolving highlights.
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In 92% of low- and middle- income countries, young women who are illiterate are more likely to accept violence against women by intimate partners than those who are able to read.
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Young women who are illiterate are approximately 1.5 times as likely to hold attitudes accepting of violence against women by intimate partners than their peers who are literate in 32 low- and middle-income countries.
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Among the poor, young men are more likely to be literate than young women in 78% of low- and lower middle-income countries.
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In 73% (33 out of 45) of low- and lower middle-income countries, less than half of poor young women can read.
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In 54% (37 out of 69) of low- and lower middle-income countries, less than half of poor girls and boys complete primary school.
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Only one out of ten poor girls completes lower secondary school in 41% (28 out of 68) of low- and lower middle-income countries.
Using the Data
Figures to power your message
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We regularly update this page with new data highlighting important facts and patterns. Check back often for material that’s ready to use. Last updated December 14, 2023.
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For the Power in Numbers data table and the analyses above, we draw on data from multiple sources, including DHS, MICS, UNESCO’s UIS.Stat, UNICEF's Datawarehouse and the Adolescent Data Portal.
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Power in Numbers data
The link below brings you to a data table with up-to-date statistics on gender and education in 133 low- and middle-income countries. Indicators are disaggregated by sex, and the data can be filtered and sorted to focus on the topics, countries, and regions that interest you.
