The World Bank reports a 2024 value for the male secondary-school gross enrollment ratio in 109 countries and economies. Another 108 entries in the 217-economy comparison have no observation for the year. Among the valid observations, the median is 92.61% and the simple mean is 90.50%. Monaco records the highest value at 157.71%, followed by Australia at 134.62%, Finland at 134.43%, and South Sudan at 133.60%. At the other end, Niger is at 20.18%, Burkina Faso at 26.83%, and Chad at 27.44%. The wide range makes the definition of a gross enrollment ratio essential to interpretation.
World Bank indicator SE.SEC.ENRR.MA compares all male students enrolled in secondary education, regardless of their age, with the male population in the official age group corresponding to secondary education. Because the numerator includes students who are older or younger than the theoretical school age, the ratio can exceed 100%. It is therefore not the same as saying that more than 100% of school-age boys are enrolled. A value above 100% usually signals that total male enrollment is larger than the size of the official male secondary-school-age population.
Table of Contents
Why 36 observations are above 100%
Of the 109 valid 2024 observations, 36 exceed 100%. Monaco reaches 157.71%, Australia 134.62%, Finland 134.43%, South Sudan 133.60%, the Turks and Caicos Islands 128.11%, Denmark 126.26%, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 123.84%, and Sweden 123.43%. These values should not be clipped to 100 or discarded as automatic errors. Gross enrollment intentionally counts enrolled students without an age restriction.
Several mechanisms can produce a ratio above 100%. Students may start school late, repeat grades, return after interruption, or enter earlier than the official age. Migration and revisions to age-specific population estimates can also affect the denominator. In small economies, a relatively modest difference in student counts can generate a large percentage. A high gross ratio therefore describes the scale of enrollment relative to the theoretical school-age population; it does not by itself prove universal on-time progression, high completion, or strong learning outcomes.
| Country or economy, 2024 | Male secondary gross enrollment ratio |
|---|---|
| Monaco | 157.71% |
| Australia | 134.62% |
| Finland | 134.43% |
| South Sudan | 133.60% |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 128.11% |
| Denmark | 126.26% |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 123.84% |
| Sweden | 123.43% |
| Aruba | 119.95% |
| Costa Rica | 117.49% |
The middle half of reported values spans roughly 79% to 103%
The 25th percentile is 79.11% and the 75th percentile is 103.23%. That places the middle half of reporting economies within a range of about 24 percentage points. Sixty-six economies are at or above 90%, while 36 are at or above 100%. Eight reported values are below 50%. The lower tail, which includes several observations in the 20s, pulls the mean below the median even as a substantial upper tail extends beyond 120%.
The 90.50% mean is an unweighted average across reporting economies. It is not a population-weighted global male enrollment rate. India and a small island economy each contribute one observation to this descriptive average. A true global rate would require country-level counts of enrolled students and the official school-age male population, then aggregate the numerators and denominators. This article instead describes how the 2024 country-level ratios are distributed.
The lowest reported values cluster in parts of West Africa and several other vulnerable settings
The bottom of the 2024 distribution includes Niger at 20.18%, Burkina Faso at 26.83%, Chad at 27.44%, the Syrian Arab Republic at 35.80%, Rwanda at 44.25%, Honduras at 47.53%, Guatemala at 48.69%, and Pakistan at 49.99%. These figures mean that total male secondary enrollment is small relative to the size of the official-age male population. They do not, on their own, identify why the ratio is low.
Within Africa, the variation is substantial. Algeria reports 103.85%, Morocco 88.78%, Egypt 85.69%, and Ghana 75.02%, while Niger and Burkina Faso remain below 30%. Treating the continent as one homogeneous block would hide these differences. A map is useful for locating broad patterns, but causal explanations require additional evidence on access, household circumstances, conflict, school capacity, age progression, repetition, and other factors.
| Country or economy, 2024 | Male secondary gross enrollment ratio |
|---|---|
| Niger | 20.18% |
| Burkina Faso | 26.83% |
| Chad | 27.44% |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 35.80% |
| Rwanda | 44.25% |
| Honduras | 47.53% |
| Guatemala | 48.69% |
| Pakistan | 49.99% |
| Lao PDR | 52.68% |
| Zambia | 54.49% |
South Asia and Southeast Asia show large differences within each region
In South Asia, Pakistan reports 49.99%, Bangladesh 58.54%, India 77.55%, Bhutan 79.02%, and Nepal 89.91%. The gap from the lowest to the highest of these observations is close to 40 percentage points. These are not directly measures of graduation or learning. A country can have a relatively high enrollment ratio and still face dropout, delayed progression, or unequal learning outcomes.
In Southeast Asia, Lao PDR stands at 52.68%, Cambodia at 54.65%, Malaysia at 79.11%, the Philippines at 84.50%, Thailand at 91.02%, and Indonesia at 99.00%. The same regional label therefore covers systems with very different enrollment structures. Differences in official school age, repetition, late entry, and transitions between primary and secondary levels can all affect a gross ratio.
Europe contains many values above 100%, while Latin America shows sharp country contrasts
Among European observations, Finland is at 134.43%, Denmark 126.26%, Sweden 123.43%, Norway 116.97%, Spain 116.38%, France 103.23%, and Germany 102.62%. The prevalence of values above 100% reinforces why this indicator should not be interpreted like a bounded test score. The numerator counts every enrolled male secondary student, including those outside the theoretical age range.
Latin American observations also vary widely. Costa Rica records 117.49%, Chile 106.72%, Brazil 103.07%, and Mexico 96.44%, compared with Honduras at 47.53% and Guatemala at 48.69%. Geographical proximity does not guarantee a similar ratio. Explaining the gap would require data on secondary-school transitions, attendance, repetition, completion, household conditions, labor-market participation, and demographic structure.
The 108 missing observations must remain separate from real low values
The source file contains 217 country and economy rows, but only 109 have a valid 2024 value. The other 108 are source-missing observations. Replacing them with zero would create false low-enrollment records, distort the mean and median, and blur the distinction between an actual 20% ratio and no observation at all. All descriptive statistics in this comparison use only the valid values.
This coverage limitation means the analysis is not a complete ranking of 217 economies. It is a same-year comparison of the economies that report a usable 2024 value. One could increase country coverage by taking the latest available year for each economy, but that would mix different reference years. Keeping 2024 fixed improves temporal comparability while accepting a smaller sample.
The low-resolution map directly joins 83 of the 109 valid observations
The map layer matches 83 of 109 valid observations (76.1%) through ISO3 codes. Several small islands and separately reported territories lack their own polygon in this generalized boundary set. Their values are still retained in the rankings and distribution statistics. A missing shape on the map is therefore not the same thing as a missing statistical observation.
Map area also affects visual attention. Large countries occupy far more pixels than small economies even though each contributes one observation to the statistics. Monaco, which has the highest ratio in the data, is essentially invisible at a global low-resolution scale. The map should therefore be read together with the tables and summary statistics rather than used as a substitute for them.
Gross enrollment, net enrollment, completion, and learning are different indicators
A gross enrollment ratio counts all students in a level regardless of age. A net enrollment measure restricts the numerator to the official age group. Completion indicators focus on reaching or finishing the final grade, while learning assessments measure skills such as reading or mathematics. These indicators can be complementary, but they answer different questions and should not be substituted for one another.
This series is also specifically for males. It should not be treated as the total secondary enrollment rate or as a direct measure of gender parity. A gender comparison requires the corresponding female series for the same year and definition. The male-only ratio tells us how male enrollment relates to the official male school-age population; it does not show whether girls have higher or lower access.
A one-year map cannot establish a trend or a policy effect
Because this analysis uses 2024 only, it cannot show whether enrollment increased or decreased from previous years. A trend analysis would require a consistent multi-year series and attention to changes in school structure, population estimates, and reporting practices. The gross ratio can move because of changes in either enrollment counts or the official-age population denominator.
Nor can the map prove why neighboring countries differ. Large gaps can motivate questions about school supply, household income, migration, conflict, labor participation, repetition, or education policy, but the ratio itself does not isolate any one cause. The safest use of the map is descriptive: it identifies where the reported 2024 enrollment structures differ and where additional evidence may be worth examining.
Source and practical interpretation
The source is the World Bank World Development Indicators series SE.SEC.ENRR.MA, reported in percent for 2024. Regional and income-group aggregates are excluded, leaving country and economy records. Missing values are preserved as NA and no imputation is used. The official definition of a gross enrollment ratio explains why values above 100% are legitimate observations rather than necessarily data errors.
Three rules keep the comparison clear. First, a gross ratio can exceed 100% because enrolled students are counted regardless of age. Second, missing values are not zeros. Third, enrollment is not the same as completion or learning quality. With those rules in place, the 2024 pattern is straightforward: the median reporting economy is near 92.61%, but the observed range stretches from 20.18% to 157.71%, with large differences both across and within major regions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the male secondary gross enrollment ratio exceed 100%?
Yes. Gross enrollment counts all male students enrolled at the level regardless of age, while the denominator is the official secondary-school-age male population.
Do the 108 economies without a 2024 value have a 0% enrollment ratio?
No. They are missing source observations and must remain separate from real low or zero values.
Does a higher gross enrollment ratio prove better education quality?
No. It measures the scale of enrollment relative to the official-age population, not completion, learning outcomes, or teaching quality.
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