In 1990, boys were twice as likely as girls to be enrolled in secondary school (26% against 13% gross enrolment). By 2000 girls had caught up, and in 2024 the gross enrolment ratio was 70% for girls and 59% for boys.
+12 points
The lead girls held over boys in secondary enrolment in 2024.
The turnaround is often credited to the Female Secondary School Stipend programmes launched in the 1990s, which paid tuition and a stipend to girls who stayed in school, remained unmarried and kept up attendance. Free textbooks and more schools in rural areas also helped.
The reversal raises new questions. Boys from poor households are increasingly leaving school early for work, while many girls still drop out at the end of secondary school because of early marriage. Closing both gaps matters for the country’s next stage of growth.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via World Bank WDI. Gross enrolment can include over-age and repeating students.