Germany reports significant gender gap in educational attainment

Data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reveals a significant ‘Gender Education Gap’ in Germany, showing that young women frequently outperform young men in educational attainment.

In 2024, women accounted for 55 percent of the 258,300 students who earned a general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur), compared to 45 percent for men. The trend reverses at lower levels of schooling; for instance, among those obtaining their first school leaving certificate (typically after 9th grade), men represented 59 percent and women 41 percent.

At the university level, women also show higher success rates. For the 2020 cohort, 34 percent of female students completed their Bachelor’s degree within eight semesters, while only 25 percent of male students did the same. Similarly, the completion rate for Master’s programs within six semesters was 53 percent for women and 48 percent for men.

The report also highlights challenges for young men regarding vocational stability. In 2025, 15 percent of men aged 18 to 24 had no completed vocational training and were not enrolled in further education, compared to 11 percent of women. Additionally, men were more likely to repeat school years, accounting for 56 percent of repeaters in the 2024/2025 school year.