Measuring gender disparity in educational attainment using the relative mean deviation for 146 countries and economies over the period 1950-2015

Takahiro Akita

Economics Bulletin, 2026, vol. 46, issue 2, 664 - 674

Abstract: This study measures gender disparity in educational attainment using the relative mean deviation from 1950 to 2015, based on the Barro-Lee dataset. The relative mean deviation is proposed as an alternative to the between-gender education Gini derived from the decomposition of the education Gini by gender. Through a dynamic panel data analysis, the study demonstrates that gender disparity, as measured by the relative mean deviation, follows a U-shaped relationship with mean years of education. Gender disparity initially declines as education expands, but after reaching a minimum at an estimated mean years of education of 8.7, it begins to increase.

Keywords: gender disparity in educational attainment; relative mean deviation; Barro-Lee dataset; education Gini coefficient; world (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I2 O1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-06-30
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Working Paper: Measuring gender disparity in educational attainment using the relative mean deviation for 146 countries and economies over the period 1950-2015 (2026)
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