Adult Men with at Least a High School Education Outnumber Women in Indonesia

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), during the 2018-2024 period, the percentage of Indonesian men aged 25 and over with at least a senior high school (SMA) education increased faster than that of women.

In 2018, the percentage of men aged 25 and over with at least an SMA education was 38.27%; this rose to 41.30% in 2021 and to 43.78% in 2024.

Meanwhile, the percentage of women aged 25 and over with at least an SMA education was 30.99% in 2018, rising to 34.87% in 2021 and to 37.64% in 2024.

“Men consistently experienced a more stable increase, while women began to experience stagnation since 2023,” stated the BPS in its report.

The BPS added that men's educational achievements are indeed superior in the SMA and above education indicator. However, when looking at education indicators covering the younger population, women's educational achievements are superior.

For example, in the School Participation Rate (APS) for the 7-23 age group, women's educational attainment is better than men's. The superiority of men's educational attainment is evident in indicators covering the older population (25 years and over).

“This indicates that the education gap between men and women in the indicator of the percentage of the population who have at least completed SMA is more influenced by the older population,” said the BPS.

For information, education is one of the indicators in the empowerment dimension, which is one of the three dimensions used to measure Indonesia's Gender Inequality Index (IKG).

In 2024, Indonesia's IKG was 0.421 points. According to the BPS, this shows that Indonesia lost 42.1% of its human development potential due to gender inequality.