Uganda: School enrollment, primary, female (% gross)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2017, Uganda's school enrollment, primary, female (% gross) fell 0.52 percentage points on 2016 (from 107.35% to 106.84%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1985 to 2016), the average change was +1.96 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.88 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 43.81 percentage points in 1997 and the biggest yearly fall was 8.15 percentage points in 2004. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2008 to 2017 the straight-line trend is downward, about 2.11 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 88% of the movement over 9 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Uganda in the 2017 ranking

• São Tomé and Principe — 1st of 2: 107.56%

What this measures

Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.

Limitations: Enrollment indicators are based on annual school surveys, but do not necessarily reflect actual attendance or dropout rates during the year. Also, the length of education differs across countries and can influence enrollment rates, although the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) tries to minimize the difference. For example, a shorter duration for primary education tends to increase the rate; a longer one to decrease it (in part because older children are more at risk of dropping out). Moreover, age at enrollment may be inaccurately estimated or misstated, especially in communities where registration of births is not strictly enforced.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 46 values

School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) in nearby economies

• Angola — 87.09% (2023)
• Benin — 103.91% (2022)
• Botswana — 108.22% (2022)
• Burkina Faso — 78.3% (2024)
• Burundi — 101.6% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 102% (2022)
• Cameroon — 109.53% (2024)
• Central African Republic — 85.16% (2016)
• Chad — 81.83% (2024)
• Comoros — 96.33% (2024)

More education data for Uganda

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, teachers — 207,238 (2017)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.03 (2017)
• Primary education, pupils — 8.84 million (2017)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 42.66 (2017)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 106.17% (2017)
• Primary education, pupils (% female) — 50.28% (2017)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Uganda's school enrollment, primary, female (% gross)?

106.84% in 2017, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 78.38 percentage points from 28.46% in 1970. The highest value was 134.13% in 2003 and the lowest 28.46% in 1970.

Is the latest change in school enrollment, primary, female (% gross) unusual for Uganda?

In 2017, Uganda's school enrollment, primary, female (% gross) fell 0.52 percentage points on 2016 (from 107.35% to 106.84%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1985 to 2016), the average change was +1.96 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.88 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.ENRR.FE, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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