The bar chart illustrates the percentage of female school leavers who entered higher education in five countries: the UK, the USA, Canada, Japan, and Germany in two selected years: 1970 and 2005.
Overall, four of the five countries saw a considerable increase in female participation in higher education over the period of 35 years. The most significant surge was observed in the UK, the USA, and Japan, whereas Canada remained unchanged, and Germany experienced a slight growth.
In 1970, Canada led all the nations with 60% of female school leavers continuing into higher education, followed closely by Germany at 50%. The USA and the UK occupied the middle ground at 40% and 35%, respectively, whereas Japan recorded the lowest rate at just 20%.
By 2005, the percentage of female school leavers pursuing higher education increased in almost all these nations. The proportion had risen substantially in the UK and the USA, with an increase of approximately 20 percentage points each. The UK climbed by 25 percentage points to match Canada’s unchanged figure of 60%, which retained its leading position despite staying completely unchanged. Meanwhile, although Japan’s figure dramatically doubled to 40%, it remained the lowest among the five countries. Finally, Germany experienced a modest growth, going up to 55%.