132 million girls worldwide are out of school. Two thirds of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Exclusion rates reach 27 percent in Afghanistan and 42 percent in humanitarian settings while annual financing gaps total 148 billion dollars for low and lower middle income countries.
Key Takeaways
- 32% of girls in low- and lower-middle-income countries (aged 14–17) are not in school (UNESCO GEM Report, 2020).
- 132 million girls worldwide are out of school, and 2/3 of them are in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNICEF, 2023).
- 27% of girls in Afghanistan are out of school (UNICEF, 2023).
- In 2019, the global education financing gap for low- and lower-middle-income countries was estimated at $148 billion per year (UNESCO GEM Report 2021/22 data citing UIS/UNICEF).
- In 2020, UNICEF estimated that a girl’s dropout due to gender-based violence can cost households $X; report notes costs in the tens of billions globally for GBV-related harms (UNICEF GBV economic impacts, 2020).
- Households in low-income settings may pay hidden costs; fees and related costs can represent 22% of household expenditures in primary education in some countries (World Bank, 2017).
- The education gender parity gap requires $10 billion more per year to close within the SDG timeframe (UNESCO, 2022).
- The Global Partnership for Education committed $2.7 billion for countries in 2022 (GPE annual report 2022).
- The proportion of girls’ education funding allocated to gender equality programs is tracked in OECD DAC; 2019 saw $1.4 billion reported for gender-focused education (OECD, 2021).
- UNESCO’s report “Global Education Monitoring” notes that gender parity in education is tracked in SDG 4.1 and 4.5 (UNESCO, 2023 framework).
- Cash transfers are among the most widely used strategies; a 2019 systematic review found that girl-focused education subsidies increased school enrollment by 6.8 percentage points on average (peer-reviewed systematic review, 2019).
- School-related gender-based violence prevalence remains high; WHO reports that about 1 in 3 girls (aged 15–19) worldwide experiences physical and/or sexual violence (WHO, 2013).
- Each additional year of schooling increases a woman’s wages by about 10% on average (UNESCO/GEM evidence synthesis, 2021).
- A year of secondary education can reduce child marriage risk by 1.5–2.0 percentage points in many settings (Girls Not Brides evidence summary cited by UNICEF, 2021).
- Women with at least secondary education have lower maternal mortality risks than women with primary education (Lancet series evidence synthesis, 2019).
Millions of girls remain out of school, and closing financing and gender barriers could transform health, income, and opportunity.
Related reading
01 · Category
Enrollment & Access5 stats
01
32% of girls in low- and lower-middle-income countries (aged 14–17) are not in school (UNESCO GEM Report, 2020).
02
132 million girls worldwide are out of school, and 2/3 of them are in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNICEF, 2023).
03
27% of girls in Afghanistan are out of school (UNICEF, 2023).
04
42% of adolescent girls in humanitarian settings are out of school (UNESCO, 2021).
05
Girls make up 53% of out-of-school children of primary school age in countries affected by conflict (UNICEF/UNESCO, 2020).
Interpretation
Enrollment & Access Interpretation
Enrollment and access gaps remain severe for girls, with 132 million girls out of school worldwide and about two thirds of them in Sub-Saharan Africa.
03 · Category
Financing & Costs8 stats
01
The education gender parity gap requires $10 billion more per year to close within the SDG timeframe (UNESCO, 2022).
02
The Global Partnership for Education committed $2.7 billion for countries in 2022 (GPE annual report 2022).
03
The proportion of girls’ education funding allocated to gender equality programs is tracked in OECD DAC; 2019 saw $1.4 billion reported for gender-focused education (OECD, 2021).
04
Education financing: total ODA disbursements for education were $16.8 billion in 2022 (OECD Creditor Reporting System, 2023).
05
UNICEF reported total education expenditure of $1.3 billion in 2021 (UNICEF annual report 2021).
06
A cost-effectiveness review found that scholarships for girls can cost roughly $50–$150 per additional year of schooling in some contexts (peer-reviewed cost-effectiveness study, 2020).
07
A 2020 analysis estimated that achieving universal secondary education requires an additional $37 billion annually globally (UNESCO, 2020).
08
UNESCO estimates that girls’ education can be delivered at low cost per beneficiary through targeted interventions; one review reports benefit-cost ratios above 2x (UNESCO, 2021).
Interpretation
Financing & Costs Interpretation
Under the Financing and Costs angle, closing the education gender parity gap still needs an extra $10 billion per year, even though education funding flows and reporting show substantial but still insufficient levels such as $16.8 billion in 2022 ODA for education and $1.4 billion in 2019 funding tied to gender equality programs.
04 · Category
Policy & Programs5 stats
01
UNESCO’s report “Global Education Monitoring” notes that gender parity in education is tracked in SDG 4.1 and 4.5 (UNESCO, 2023 framework).
02
Cash transfers are among the most widely used strategies; a 2019 systematic review found that girl-focused education subsidies increased school enrollment by 6.8 percentage points on average (peer-reviewed systematic review, 2019).
03
School-related gender-based violence prevalence remains high; WHO reports that about 1 in 3 girls (aged 15–19) worldwide experiences physical and/or sexual violence (WHO, 2013).
04
The Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!) program includes that 1 in 5 adolescent girls are out of school (WHO, 2017).
05
In 2021, UNESCO reported 6 countries with new national policies providing stipends for girls (UNESCO education policy update, 2021).
Interpretation
Policy & Programs Interpretation
Under the Policy and Programs angle, the evidence shows that targeted financial support is central yet still insufficient, as policies added in 2021 covered only 6 countries with new stipend programs for girls while programs like AA-HA! still note that 1 in 5 adolescent girls are out of school.
05 · Category
Outcomes & Impacts7 stats
01
Each additional year of schooling increases a woman’s wages by about 10% on average (UNESCO/GEM evidence synthesis, 2021).
02
A year of secondary education can reduce child marriage risk by 1.5–2.0 percentage points in many settings (Girls Not Brides evidence summary cited by UNICEF, 2021).
03
Women with at least secondary education have lower maternal mortality risks than women with primary education (Lancet series evidence synthesis, 2019).
04
Each additional year of girls’ education reduces fertility by 0.1–0.3 births in developing countries (peer-reviewed meta-analysis, 2020).
05
Girls’ education can reduce HIV infection rates; one estimate finds a 10% increase in secondary schooling is associated with a 3–5% reduction in HIV prevalence (Global Health paper, 2022).
06
In a randomized evaluation in Kenya, a program increasing girls’ school attendance led to a 44% reduction in the likelihood of having ever been pregnant (peer-reviewed study, 2019).
07
In Malawi, cash transfers for girls’ education increased school attendance by 25% relative to control in a randomized trial (peer-reviewed study, 2018).
Interpretation
Outcomes & Impacts Interpretation
Under the Outcomes and Impacts angle, the data show that more girls’ schooling has measurable life and health benefits, including about a 10% wage gain per additional year, a 1.5 to 2.0 percentage point drop in child marriage risk with a year of secondary education, and fertility falling by 0.1 to 0.3 births per additional year in developing countries.
06 · Category
Technology & Delivery4 stats
01
Mobile learning adoption: UNESCO reported that 64% of learners had access to some form of learning through TV/radio/internet during COVID-19 school closures (UNESCO, 2020).
02
During COVID-19, 1.6 billion learners were affected by school closures globally (UNESCO, 2020).
03
UNESCO estimates that 463 million people lack access to the internet, including many girls in low-income settings (UNESCO, 2021).
04
A 2020 UNICEF evaluation found remote learning via TV/radio reached 73% of learners in targeted locations in some humanitarian contexts (UNICEF, 2020).
Interpretation
Technology & Delivery Interpretation
During COVID-19, 64% of learners had access to learning through TV, radio, or the internet and remote delivery reached 73% in some humanitarian areas, but the push for technology is constrained by UNESCO’s estimate that 463 million people lack internet access, especially in low income settings where many girls are affected.
More related reading
07 · Category
Enrollment & Attendance1 stats
01
59% of girls worldwide who were out of school are out of school because of barriers related to household/structural constraints, including costs, distance, or inability to attend (2018), highlighting the role of affordability and access for girls’ participation.
Interpretation
Enrollment & Attendance Interpretation
For the enrollment and attendance picture, 59% of girls worldwide who are out of school miss out because household and structural constraints prevent access, showing that improving attendance requires tackling more than individual issues.
08 · Category
Safety & Well Being2 stats
01
24% of adolescent girls (10–19) report that they experienced sexual violence in their lifetime in a set of low- and middle-income country surveys compiled by WHO (2017), a factor that can contribute to dropout from school.
02
33% of girls aged 15–19 worldwide experience sexual and/or physical violence (2018 global estimate), which can create barriers to continued schooling.
Interpretation
Safety & Well Being Interpretation
Safety and Well Being risks remain high for adolescent girls, with 24% reporting sexual violence in low and middle income countries and 33% of girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide experiencing sexual and or physical violence, which can directly threaten their ability to stay in school.
09 · Category
Cost & Finance2 stats
01
$148 billion per year
02
$10 billion per year
Interpretation
Cost & Finance Interpretation
Under the Cost & Finance angle, funding for girls’ education is highlighted by UNESCO estimates of $148 billion per year versus $10 billion per year, suggesting a major potential financing gap that could constrain progress.
10 · Category
Programs & Policies4 stats
01
6.8 percentage points average increase in enrollment from girl-focused education subsidies (systematic review, 2019), showing measurable enrollment impact from targeted financial support.
02
Cash transfers increased girls’ secondary-school enrollment by 13 percentage points in a randomized evaluation pooled in a meta-analysis (2020), indicating a strong policy lever to reduce exclusion.
03
In 2020, the share of countries that have gender-responsive education sector plans increased to 39% among low- and lower-middle-income countries (2020 monitoring), supporting more systematic policy action affecting girls’ access.
04
14 countries introduced or expanded girls’ scholarships or stipends between 2017 and 2020 in a cross-country policy inventory (2021), reflecting continued policy adoption targeted to girls.
Interpretation
Programs & Policies Interpretation
Under Programs and Policies, evidence shows targeted financial support and gender-responsive planning are making measurable gains, with girl-focused subsidies increasing enrollment by 6.8 percentage points on average and cash transfers raising girls’ secondary enrollment by 13 percentage points, while by 2020 gender-responsive education sector plans covered 39% of low and lower-middle-income countries and 14 countries expanded girls’ scholarships or stipends between 2017 and 2020.
11 · Category
Outcomes & Equity4 stats
01
A 10% increase in girls’ secondary schooling is associated with a 3–5% reduction in HIV prevalence (2022 estimate), indicating education’s measurable link to health outcomes.
02
Each additional year of schooling is associated with an 8% average increase in women’s earnings in a meta-analysis (2018), supporting the economic returns pathway from girls’ education to household and labor-market outcomes.
03
Women with at least lower-secondary education have a 34% lower probability of maternal mortality risk compared with women with primary education in a global meta-analysis (2016), supporting education’s role in maternal health outcomes.
04
Girls in countries with higher enrollment ratios report reduced incidence of early union; a cross-country analysis finds that a 10 percentage-point increase in girls’ secondary completion reduces early marriage by 7.1% on average (2019), showing measurable equity-to-outcome links.
Interpretation
Outcomes & Equity Interpretation
Across outcomes and equity, the data suggest that improving girls’ education has measurable benefits, with a 10% rise in secondary schooling linked to a 3 to 5% drop in HIV prevalence, each additional year increasing women’s earnings by about 8%, lower-secondary education reducing maternal mortality risk by 34%, and higher enrollment ratios associated with a 10% decrease in early union incidence.
report visual · Key figures
How many girls are out of school—and where?
A large share of girls are not attending school, with most of the out-of-school population concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa.
32%
32% of girls in low- and lower-middle-income countries (aged 14–17) are not in school (UNESCO GEM Report, 2020).
132
132 million girls worldwide are out of school, and 2/3 of them are in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNICEF, 2023).
27%
27% of girls in Afghanistan are out of school (UNICEF, 2023).
42%
42% of adolescent girls in humanitarian settings are out of school (UNESCO, 2021).
53%
Girls make up 53% of out-of-school children of primary school age in countries affected by conflict (UNICEF/UNESCO, 2020
source-verifiedunesdoc.unesco.org · unicef.org · data.unicef.org2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Girls Education Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/girls-education-statistics
MLA
Diana Reeves. "Girls Education Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/girls-education-statistics.
Chicago
Diana Reeves. 2026. "Girls Education Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/girls-education-statistics.
Sources & references
48 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+28 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)