👩‍🏫 Nine out of ten children in the world now attend primary school

• In 1900, only 31 percent of boys and 23 percent of girls of primary school age attended school globally.
• In 2023, 91 percent of boys and 89 percent of girls are enrolled in primary school.
• The gender gap in school enrollment has decreased from eight percentage points to two percentage points in just over a hundred years.

From minority to majority

A hundred years ago, most children in the world did not have the opportunity to go to school. In 1900, only 31 percent of boys of primary school age were enrolled globally. For girls, the figure was even lower: 23 percent.

Since then, access to education has increased steadily. Boys passed 50 percent enrollment around 1930. Girls reached the same level about 20 years later, around 1950.

The gender gap has decreased significantly

Throughout most of the 20th century, boys were more likely to attend school than girls. But towards the end of the century, this gap began to narrow.

In 2023, 91 percent of boys and 89 percent of girls of primary school age are enrolled in school. This means the gender gap has shrunk from eight percentage points in 1900 to just two percentage points today.

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