The charts illustrate the percentages of male and female students who could attend secondary school and university in four sub-continents in 2000.
Overall, Europe had by far the highest participation rates in both levels of education for both genders, while Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the lowest figures.
When it comes to Europe, the proportion of women who pursued education was the highest, at 100% in secondary school and 70% in university. In Latin America, school-aged and college-aged girls ranked second, accounting for 60% and 15% respectively. By comparison, the attendance rate of female students in East Asia was slightly lower, with 58% and 8%. The share of girls in Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the lowest rate, with 20% and 5%.
Turning to male students, the percentage of individuals who could go to school and higher education in Europe was 98% and 60%, making them the highest figures compared to the three remaining regions. The data was comparatively lower in East Asia (60% in secondary school) and in Latin America (48% in secondary school and 10% in university). During the surveyed period, the male population in these two sub-continents ranked third overall. The share of male pupils in Sub-Saharan Africa was the lowest, with only 3% in secondary school and 8% in higher education.