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UNESCO Report Reveals Rural India Gender Gap in Education
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News18•12-10-2026, 10:29
UNESCO Report Reveals Rural India Gender Gap in Education
- •Only 59 girls in rural India complete upper-secondary education for every 100 boys, according to UNESCO's 2026 Gender Report.
- •India's gender parity index for upper-secondary completion is 0.59 in rural areas, compared to 1.00 in urban areas and 0.89 nationally.
- •UDISE+ data shows that India's national transition rate from secondary to higher-secondary education in 2024-25 was 75.1 percent.
- •State-level figures show transition rates vary, with girls outperforming boys in states like Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
Key Questions Answered
According to UNESCO’s 2026 Gender Report, India’s gender parity index for upper-secondary completion stands at 0.59 in rural areas, meaning only 59 rural girls complete education for every 100 boys.
In 2024–25, India’s national transition rate from secondary to higher-secondary education was 75.1%, with 77.9% for girls and 72.4% for boys, reflecting a 5.5 percentage point difference in favour of girls.
Girls often drop out due to social and family pressure, early marriage, increased household chores, long travel distances to secondary schools, safety worries, and financial burdens related to schooling expenses.
