About two thirds of countries and territories reached gender parity in primary education by the target year of 2005, but in many other countries – especially in sub-Saharan Africa – girls are still at a disadvantage. Fewer countries have reached gender parity in secondary education. The largest gender gaps at the primary school level are in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia. At the secondary school level, girls are disadvantaged in South Asia, and boys in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Gender disparities in primary schooling are slightly larger in rural areas than in urban areas and among poorer households. Asian countries with data on gender parity show significant variation. In Indonesia, Nepal and Thailand, gender parity in primary education is just as likely for children from the poorest 20 per cent of households as for those from the richest 20 per cent. In other countries,
however, gender parity is much more likely for children from the wealthiest households. This is true, for example, of both Bangladesh and Pakistan. In Pakistan, however, far fewer girls than boys in the poorest 20 per cent of households are in school; in Bangladesh, boys in this quintile fare worse than girls.

A similar pattern applies to disparities based on residence. Indonesia and Thailand, for example, have achieved gender parity in both urban and rural areas. In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, urban boys and rural girls are disadvantaged; in Pakistan, rural girls are disadvantaged.