One in seven children were out of school in 2019, yet completion and enrollment figures vary dramatically by country, with the Czech Republic at 93% primary enrollment in 2022 while India sits at 87%. The gaps do not stop at access, because learning outcomes and staffing needs also diverge, from OECD PISA performance to UNESCO estimates of millions of teachers needed by 2030. Education By Country brings these measures together so you can see how enrollment, spending, and learning connect, or fail to.
Key Takeaways
- 1 in 7 children globally were out of school in 2019 (UNICEF, based on UIS and UNESCO estimates).
- Net enrollment ratio in primary education was 89% globally in 2022 (World Bank EdStats/UNESCO UIS summary).
- 93% of children were enrolled in primary school in the Czech Republic in 2022 (World Bank EdStats).
- In 2021, the global pupil-teacher ratio for primary education was 17:1 (World Bank EdStats indicator).
- In 2021, the global pupil-teacher ratio for lower secondary education was 16:1 (World Bank EdStats).
- In 2022, UNESCO estimated 20 million teachers were needed globally by 2030 to achieve education goals (UNESCO staffing needs estimate).
- 485 points in science was the OECD average score in PISA 2022 (OECD).
- In South Africa, 12% of students are at or above proficiency level 3 in reading in PISA 2022 (OECD).
- In 2022, learning poverty was 18% in high-income countries (World Bank estimate).
- In 2021, primary education expenditure per student in the UK was about $8,300 (OECD Education at a Glance indicator).
- In 2021, the United Kingdom spent 4.4% of GDP on education (OECD Education at a Glance dataset).
- In 2022, education accounted for about 6.1% of total official development assistance (OECD DAC).
- In 2024, the global education technology market was forecast to reach $28.0 billion (industry forecast cited by a vendor research summary).
- In 2023, the global market for Learning Management Systems (LMS) was estimated at $11.0 billion (vendor research market sizing summary).
- In 2023, the global market for student information systems (SIS) was estimated at $2.6 billion (industry research market sizing).
Globally, many children still miss school and completion trails behind enrollment, even as key ratios improve.
Related reading
01 · Category
Access & Enrollment11 stats
01
1 in 7 children globally were out of school in 2019 (UNICEF, based on UIS and UNESCO estimates).
02
Net enrollment ratio in primary education was 89% globally in 2022 (World Bank EdStats/UNESCO UIS summary).
03
93% of children were enrolled in primary school in the Czech Republic in 2022 (World Bank EdStats).
04
87% of children were enrolled in primary school in India in 2022 (World Bank EdStats).
05
95% of children were enrolled in primary school in Kenya in 2022 (World Bank EdStats).
06
91% of children were enrolled in primary school in Bangladesh in 2022 (World Bank EdStats).
07
96% of students completed primary education globally in 2022 (World Bank EdStats indicator for completion rate).
08
62% of students completed lower secondary education globally in 2022 (World Bank EdStats completion rate indicator).
09
64% of students were enrolled in secondary education in the United States in 2022 (World Bank EdStats gross enrollment ratio for secondary).
10
52% of students were enrolled in secondary education in India in 2022 (World Bank EdStats).
11
34% of students were enrolled in secondary education in Ethiopia in 2022 (World Bank EdStats).
Interpretation
Access & Enrollment Interpretation
Across the Access and Enrollment picture, primary school participation is high with global net enrollment at 89% in 2022 and 96% of children completing primary, yet the transition to later schooling drops sharply as lower secondary completion falls to 62% globally and secondary enrollment ranges from 64% in the United States down to 34% in Ethiopia in 2022.
02 · Category
System Capacity6 stats
01
In 2021, the global pupil-teacher ratio for primary education was 17:1 (World Bank EdStats indicator).
02
In 2021, the global pupil-teacher ratio for lower secondary education was 16:1 (World Bank EdStats).
03
In 2022, UNESCO estimated 20 million teachers were needed globally by 2030 to achieve education goals (UNESCO staffing needs estimate).
04
In 2022, Ukraine experienced about 5.8 million school-age children affected by displacement and disrupted schooling (UNICEF situation reporting).
05
In 2020, schools globally were closed for an average of 26 weeks due to COVID-19 (UNESCO/World Bank synthesis reporting on closure duration).
06
In 2020, 120,000 education facilities were reported closed globally at one point during the COVID-19 pandemic (UNESCO tracking dashboard summary).
Interpretation
System Capacity Interpretation
With global pupil teacher ratios still as high as 17:1 in primary and 16:1 in lower secondary and UNESCO estimating a need for 20 million more teachers by 2030, system capacity pressures are being compounded by large-scale disruptions such as 26 weeks of average school closures in 2020 and 120,000 education facilities temporarily closed during COVID-19.
03 · Category
Learning Outcomes5 stats
01
485 points in science was the OECD average score in PISA 2022 (OECD).
02
In South Africa, 12% of students are at or above proficiency level 3 in reading in PISA 2022 (OECD).
03
In 2022, learning poverty was 18% in high-income countries (World Bank estimate).
04
The global adult literacy rate was 86% in 2016 (UIS baseline commonly reported by UNESCO).
05
47% of adults aged 16-74 in France were assessed at proficiency levels 1 or below in literacy in the ALL in PIAAC (2015-2016), the lowest levels of adult literacy.
Interpretation
Learning Outcomes Interpretation
Across education systems, learning outcomes remain uneven as shown by OECD science scoring averaging 485 points while only 12% of South African students reach reading proficiency level 3 or above and learning poverty is still 18% in high income countries.
04 · Category
Funding & Spending5 stats
01
In 2021, primary education expenditure per student in the UK was about $8,300(OECD Education at a Glance indicator).
02
In 2021, the United Kingdom spent 4.4% of GDP on education (OECD Education at a Glance dataset).
03
In 2022, education accounted for about 6.1% of total official development assistance (OECD DAC).
04
In 2021, global household out-of-pocket expenditure on education represented 31% of total education spending in many low-income contexts (World Bank education financing analysis).
05
In 2020, private expenditure on education represented 42% of total education expenditure in the Philippines (World Bank education expenditure analysis using UNESCO/UIS).
Interpretation
Funding & Spending Interpretation
For the Funding & Spending angle, the data shows education financing is heavily shaped by public and household contributions, with the UK spending 4.4% of GDP on education while globally households still cover 31% of spending in many low-income settings and the Philippines relies on private outlays for 42% of total education expenditure.
05 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
In 2024, the global education technology market was forecast to reach $28.0 billion (industry forecast cited by a vendor research summary).
02
In 2023, the global market for Learning Management Systems (LMS) was estimated at $11.0 billion (vendor research market sizing summary).
03
In 2023, the global market for student information systems (SIS) was estimated at $2.6 billion (industry research market sizing).
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
The Industry Trends data show rapid expansion in education technology, with the global EdTech market forecast to hit $28.0 billion in 2024 and sustained growth in key platforms like LMS at $11.0 billion and SIS at $2.6 billion in 2023.
More related reading
06 · Category
Enrollment Rates2 stats
01
1.4% of learners in grades 1-12 were enrolled in pre-primary education in the United States in 2022, down from 1.5% in 2021.
02
63% of students were enrolled in secondary education in Colombia in 2022.
Interpretation
Enrollment Rates Interpretation
In the enrollment rates data, pre-primary enrollment in the United States slipped from 1.5% in 2021 to 1.4% in 2022, while Colombia reported 63% of students enrolled in secondary education in 2022.
07 · Category
Out Of School1 stats
01
1.7 million students worldwide (about 1 in 10 of all out-of-school children) were in conflict-affected settings in 2022 according to UNESCO estimates.
Interpretation
Out Of School Interpretation
In 2022, UNESCO estimated that 1.7 million out-of-school students worldwide, about 1 in 10, were living in conflict-affected settings, underscoring how insecurity directly drives children into the out-of-school category.
08 · Category
Teacher Capacity3 stats
01
28% of teachers in Ghana were not fully qualified in 2018 (teacher training shortfall).
02
94% of schools in South Korea reported having an ICT policy in 2022 according to OECD/education survey results.
03
92% of schools in Finland reported having access to the internet for instructional purposes in 2022 (OECD TALIS education survey).
Interpretation
Teacher Capacity Interpretation
In the teacher capacity category, the sharp contrast in preparedness stands out as Ghana had 28% of teachers not fully qualified in 2018 while South Korea and Finland reported very high levels of school-level ICT support in 2022 with 94% and 92% of schools respectively having relevant policies or internet access for instruction.
09 · Category
Education Finance2 stats
01
US$ 9,600per student (current US$) was spent on primary education in Germany in 2021 according to OECD Education at a Glance.
02
In 2022, the Czech Republic spent 4.1% of GDP on education (public and private sources), including public education spending.
Interpretation
Education Finance Interpretation
In the education finance space, Germany’s primary education spending reached US$9,600 per student in 2021, while the Czech Republic devoted 4.1% of GDP to education in 2022, showing how countries finance schooling through both per-student outlays and overall economic shares.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Education By Country Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/education-by-country-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Education By Country Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/education-by-country-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Education By Country Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/education-by-country-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+24 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)