With 2025 and 2026 priorities shaping budgets and classroom choices, the educational industry is moving fast and the data reflects it. While 134 million children and youth are still out of school in sub-Saharan Africa, billions are simultaneously flowing into everything from tutoring and LMS platforms to virtual classrooms and adaptive learning. We connect these contrasts across regions, learning levels, and technologies to show where demand is rising and what may be working.
Key Takeaways
- 134 million children and youth were out of school in sub-Saharan Africa in 2022
- 94% of students enrolled in tertiary education were enrolled in degree-granting institutions (OECD education statistics, 2022 latest available)
- 12.4 million students were enrolled in higher education in the United Kingdom in 2022/23
- $38.3 billion global K-12 online learning market value in 2024
- $8.6 billion global corporate e-learning market in 2023
- $19.4 billion global tutoring services market size in 2024
- Global generative AI in education market growth rate is projected at a high double-digit CAGR through 2030 (industry forecast)
- In 2024, 49% of organizations reported AI was embedded in at least one business process (Gartner survey result applied to IT/education buyers)
- In 2024, 41% of edtech leaders planned to invest in cybersecurity priorities (SHEP/ISG edtech spending survey summary)
- 62% of faculty reported using some form of digital learning tools weekly or more in 2023 (OECD TALIS-related evidence, 2020-2023 synthesis)
- 47% of learners worldwide used a mobile device for learning during remote schooling in 2020 (UNESCO global survey evidence)
- 34% of students in OECD countries used online learning platforms at least weekly in 2021 (OECD education data/analysis)
- K-12 school districts in the U.S. spent $12,802 per student in 2021 (NCES)
- Public K-12 teachers in the U.S. had a median salary of $61,820 in 2022 (BLS/NCES referenced median)
- In OECD countries, average annual expenditure per student for primary education was $9,000-$13,000 PPP (Education at a Glance 2023, Table B2.1)
Millions still lack schooling, while online learning markets and AI adoption rapidly expand worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Enrollment6 stats
01
134 million children and youth were out of school in sub-Saharan Africa in 2022
02
94% of students enrolled in tertiary education were enrolled in degree-granting institutions (OECD education statistics, 2022 latest available)
03
12.4 million students were enrolled in higher education in the United Kingdom in 2022/23
04
19.7 million students were enrolled in U.S. public elementary and secondary schools in fall 2022
05
15.9 million students were enrolled in U.S. higher education in fall 2022
06
14.7 million students were enrolled in higher education in the European Union in 2022 (Eurostat)
Interpretation
Global Enrollment Interpretation
In the Global Enrollment picture, higher education appears highly concentrated with 94% of tertiary students in degree-granting institutions while major systems also show large scale, such as 19.7 million students in US public elementary and secondary schools and 14.7 million in EU higher education in 2022, even as 134 million children and youth remain out of school across sub-Saharan Africa in 2022.
02 · Category
Market Size7 stats
01
$38.3 billion global K-12 online learning market value in 2024
02
$8.6 billion global corporate e-learning market in 2023
03
$19.4 billion global tutoring services market size in 2024
04
$14.8 billion global learning management system (LMS) market size in 2024
05
$15.5 billion global virtual classroom software market size in 2023 (MarketsandMarkets)
06
$12.3 billion global adaptive learning technology market size in 2024
07
$1.2 billion global student information system (SIS) market size in 2023
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, the sector is expanding across multiple education technology segments with 2024 global figures like $38.3 billion for K-12 online learning, $19.4 billion for tutoring, and $14.8 billion for LMS showing that spend is spreading well beyond one channel.
03 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
Global generative AI in education market growth rate is projected at a high double-digit CAGR through 2030 (industry forecast)
02
In 2024, 49% of organizations reported AI was embedded in at least one business process (Gartner survey result applied to IT/education buyers)
03
In 2024, 41% of edtech leaders planned to invest in cybersecurity priorities (SHEP/ISG edtech spending survey summary)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Under industry trends, the education sector is moving fast as generative AI is forecast to grow at a high double-digit CAGR through 2030 and AI is already embedded in at least one business process for 49% of organizations, while 41% of edtech leaders are prioritizing cybersecurity investments in 2024.
More related reading
04 · Category
User Adoption6 stats
01
62% of faculty reported using some form of digital learning tools weekly or more in 2023 (OECD TALIS-related evidence, 2020-2023 synthesis)
02
47% of learners worldwide used a mobile device for learning during remote schooling in 2020 (UNESCO global survey evidence)
03
34% of students in OECD countries used online learning platforms at least weekly in 2021 (OECD education data/analysis)
04
44% of students in the U.S. took at least one distance education course in fall 2021 (NCES, 2021)
05
55% of schools in England used a virtual learning environment (VLE) in 2023 (Department for Education)
06
53% of corporate learners used learning content created with generative AI tools in 2024 (Gartner survey-based finding)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption in education is accelerating across both teaching and learning channels, with weekly or more use reaching 62% of faculty in 2023 and 34% of OECD students using online platforms at least weekly in 2021, alongside broad learner uptake during remote schooling and a growing move to generative AI content where 53% of corporate learners used it in 2024.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
K-12 school districts in the U.S. spent $12,802per student in 2021 (NCES)
02
Public K-12 teachers in the U.S. had a median salary of $61,820in 2022 (BLS/NCES referenced median)
03
In OECD countries, average annual expenditure per student for primary education was $9,000-$13,000 PPP (Education at a Glance 2023, Table B2.1)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, U.S. K-12 spending runs high at $12,802 per student in 2021, and even with that level of investment teacher pay sits at a median of $61,820 in 2022, which contrasts with OECD primary education spending of about $9,000 to $13,000 PPP per student where costs are generally in the lower range.
06 · Category
Learning Outcomes9 stats
01
Students who used retrieval practice showed a performance increase of about 16% to 80% depending on the study design (peer-reviewed meta-analysis of learning techniques)
02
Meta-analysis found computer-assisted instruction improved learning outcomes with an average effect size of d≈0.30 to 0.50 across many studies (peer-reviewed education technology synthesis)
03
A randomized controlled trial found tutoring increased reading achievement by about 0.3 standard deviations compared with control (U.S. Institute of Education Sciences practice guide summary of evidence)
04
A meta-analysis reported that formative assessment practices were associated with an effect size around 0.40 standard deviations on student achievement (peer-reviewed synthesis)
05
Spaced learning improves long-term retention; meta-analyses report benefits of spaced over massed practice by approximately 0.5 to 1.0 standard deviation for retention measures (peer-reviewed)
06
STEM project-based learning showed an improvement in student achievement with an average effect size of around d≈0.37 (meta-analysis published in a peer-reviewed journal)
07
Online learning meta-analysis found blended learning improved student performance by an average effect size of about 0.35 compared with traditional methods (peer-reviewed synthesis)
08
A large-scale meta-analysis found that adaptive learning systems produced effect sizes of approximately 0.18 to 0.30 on learning outcomes (peer-reviewed evaluation synthesis)
09
In PISA 2022, the OECD average mathematics score was 472 (OECD)
Interpretation
Learning Outcomes Interpretation
Learning outcomes are consistently improved across evidence based strategies, with retrieval practice raising performance by about 16% to 80% and spaced learning boosting long term retention by roughly 0.5 to 1.0 standard deviations, showing that well designed learning methods deliver strong measurable gains.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Educational Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/educational-industry-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Educational Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/educational-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Educational Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/educational-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
34 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)