Imagine a childhood where learning is a luxury, not a given: despite global progress, staggering disparities remain, with 244 million children and youth out of school in 2021, a reality where your birthplace overwhelmingly dictates your educational destiny.
Key Takeaways
- Globally, 244 million children and youth were out of school in 2021, with 139 million at the primary level, representing 13% of the relevant age group
- In sub-Saharan Africa, the out-of-school rate for primary age children reached 29% in 2020, the highest regional figure worldwide
- Worldwide, 60% of out-of-school children live in Southern and Eastern Asia, totaling approximately 95 million in 2021
- In 2021, 94% of 10-year-olds in low-income countries could not read and understand a simple text
- Global youth literacy rate (aged 15-24) was 92.6% in 2020, with female rate at 93.8% surpassing male at 91.4%
- In South Asia, adult literacy rate improved from 52.6% in 2000 to 71.2% in 2020
- Global lower secondary completion rate reached 84% in 2020 for both genders
- In low-income countries, only 33% of youth complete lower secondary education by age 18
- Worldwide, tertiary enrollment ratio grew to 40% in 2021 from 19% in 2000
- The global student-teacher ratio in primary education averaged 23.5 students per teacher in 2020
- In sub-Saharan Africa, primary pupil-teacher ratio is 44:1 in 2021, highest globally
- Worldwide, 69% of primary schools had access to basic drinking water in 2020
- Globally, public expenditure on education averages 4.5% of GDP in 2021
- Low-income countries spend 15.2% of total government budget on education in 2020, highest share
- Worldwide, aid to education totaled $14.2 billion in 2020, down 14% from 2019
Millions of children worldwide remain out of school despite some global progress.
Access and Enrollment
- Globally, 244 million children and youth were out of school in 2021, with 139 million at the primary level, representing 13% of the relevant age group
- In sub-Saharan Africa, the out-of-school rate for primary age children reached 29% in 2020, the highest regional figure worldwide
- Worldwide, 60% of out-of-school children live in Southern and Eastern Asia, totaling approximately 95 million in 2021
- The global primary adjusted net attendance rate stood at 87.3% in 2019, up from 82.4% in 2010
- In low-income countries, only 65% of children of primary school age attend school, compared to 99% in high-income countries in 2022
- Gender parity in primary enrollment improved globally to 0.98 in 2021, but remains at 0.82 in lower secondary in least developed countries
- 258 million children and adolescents globally were out of school in 2018, a slight decline from 258.6 million in 2016
- In India, primary net enrollment rate reached 94.3% in 2021, while upper secondary lags at 58.6%
- Sub-Saharan Africa's lower secondary out-of-school population numbers 58 million children aged 12-17 in 2020
- Globally, rural children are 18 percentage points less likely to attend primary school than urban peers in 2022 data
- Globally, 244 million children and youth were out of school in 2021 across all levels
- Pakistan has 22.8 million children out of school, the second highest globally after Nigeria in 2021
- In Latin America, indigenous children have 20% lower primary enrollment rates than non-indigenous in 2020
- Global pre-primary enrollment rate is 51% in 2021, with major gaps in fragile states
- Refugee children face 3 times higher out-of-school rates, at 42% globally in 2022
- In China, compulsory education enrollment is near 100% for primary and 95% for junior secondary in 2021
- Girls in rural areas of South Asia are 25% less likely to enroll in secondary school in 2020
- COVID-19 caused 1.6 billion learners to experience school closures in 2020
- In Ethiopia, primary net enrollment rose from 59% in 2010 to 85% in 2021
Access and Enrollment Interpretation
While global headlines celebrate incremental progress in education, the stark reality remains that millions of children, particularly the poor, rural, and displaced, are watching the school gates close from the outside, a divide as deep as the chasm between a 99% attendance rate in rich nations and a 65% rate in poor ones.
Completion and Attainment
- Global lower secondary completion rate reached 84% in 2020 for both genders
- In low-income countries, only 33% of youth complete lower secondary education by age 18
- Worldwide, tertiary enrollment ratio grew to 40% in 2021 from 19% in 2000
- Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest primary completion rate at 68% in 2020
- Gender parity in secondary completion is 0.95 globally in 2021, but 0.78 in Southern Asia
- In Brazil, upper secondary completion rate for 25-34 year-olds hit 78% in 2022, up from 45% in 2000
- Globally, 59% of children complete primary education on time in 2020 estimates
- OECD average for tertiary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is 40% in 2022, led by Canada at 60%
- In Nigeria, primary completion rate stands at 71% for girls versus 76% for boys in 2021
- East Asia and Pacific region boasts 95% lower secondary completion rate in 2020
- Upper secondary gross graduation ratio globally is 77% in 2020
- In OECD, 85% of 25-34 year-olds have at least upper secondary education in 2022
- Bangladesh primary completion rate surged to 97% in 2021 from 82% in 2010
- Tertiary gross enrollment ratio in Europe is 78% in 2021, highest regionally
- Globally, 12% of children repeat primary grades, costing $16 billion annually
- In the US, high school graduation rate is 86% for public schools in 2021-22
- Central Asia has 90% primary survival rate to last grade in 2020
- Women's tertiary attainment exceeds men globally at 45% vs 39% in 2021
- In South Africa, matric pass rate was 76.4% in 2022
- Global early childhood education enrollment is 52% for 3-6 year-olds in 2020
Completion and Attainment Interpretation
The world's report card shows we're acing the attendance but desperately need tutoring in equity, as the headline-worthy global averages mask a stubbornly unequal classroom where your grade still depends heavily on your address, gender, and wallet.
Funding and Expenditure
- Globally, public expenditure on education averages 4.5% of GDP in 2021
- Low-income countries spend 15.2% of total government budget on education in 2020, highest share
- Worldwide, aid to education totaled $14.2 billion in 2020, down 14% from 2019
- OECD DAC countries allocate 0.6% of total aid to basic education in 2021
- In sub-Saharan Africa, education spending per student is $52 annually at primary level in 2020
- Global private household education expenditure averages 1.8% of GDP in 2019
- Brazil increased education spending to 6.2% of GDP in 2022, exceeding the 6% constitutional target
- Only 12% of education aid reaches least developed countries in 2021
- High-income countries spend $10,000 per primary student yearly versus $50 in low-income in 2020
- Education spending in low-income countries averages 2.8% of GDP in 2021
- Private education expenditure by households is highest in Latin America at 2.5% GDP in 2020
- UNESCO estimates $97 billion annual funding gap for SDG4 by 2030
- In 2021, philanthropic funding for education totaled $2.5 billion globally
- Sub-Saharan Africa education aid per student is $20, versus $200 in other regions 2020
- Finland spends 5.6% of GDP on education, with 12% allocated to primary in 2022
- Global education finance for girls' education receives only 1.4% of total aid
- In Egypt, education budget rose to 3.7% of GDP in 2022 fiscal year
- Household out-of-pocket education costs average 25% of expenses in low-income homes
Funding and Expenditure Interpretation
The world's investment in education paints a picture of bewildering inequality, where a child's future is shockingly dependent on their birthplace, as high-income nations spend $10,000 per pupil while the poorest manage on just $52, leaving a staggering $97 billion annual chasm to reach our global promise of quality education for all.
Literacy and Numeracy
- In 2021, 94% of 10-year-olds in low-income countries could not read and understand a simple text
- Global youth literacy rate (aged 15-24) was 92.6% in 2020, with female rate at 93.8% surpassing male at 91.4%
- In South Asia, adult literacy rate improved from 52.6% in 2000 to 71.2% in 2020
- 773 million adults worldwide remain illiterate in 2022, two-thirds of whom are women
- Lowest adult literacy rates persist in sub-Saharan Africa at 66.4% in 2020, compared to 99.9% in Europe
- In 2019, 53% of children in low- and middle-income countries were learning poor in reading after two years of primary school
- Global female adult illiteracy rate dropped to 10.8% in 2020 from 18.3% in 2000
- In Afghanistan, youth literacy rate for females was 29.3% in 2021, versus 55.8% for males
- Numeracy proficiency among 15-year-olds in OECD countries averaged 489 score points in PISA 2018
- 75% of 10-year-olds in sub-Saharan Africa cannot read a simple sentence, per 2022 REAL assessments
- Global adult literacy rate achieved 86.3% in 2020, nearing the 87% SDG target
- In Niger, adult literacy is just 30.8% in 2021, lowest worldwide
- PISA 2018 reading scores average 487 globally, with top performer China (Beijing-Shanghai) at 555
- 88% of 10-year-olds in middle-income countries experience learning poverty in reading
- Female youth literacy in Arab States is 88.5% versus 92.1% male in 2020
- In Indonesia, functional literacy among adults is 96% per national surveys in 2022
- Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 44% of global illiterate adults in 2020
- Early grade reading assessments show 78% of grade 2 students in low-income countries cannot read fluently
- Global numeracy rate for adults aged 16-65 is 75% proficient per PIACC 2019
- In Mali, only 33% of women aged 15-24 are literate in 2021
- Vietnam's PISA 2018 math score of 526 exceeds OECD average by 37 points
Literacy and Numeracy Interpretation
While we rightfully celebrate the rising tide of global literacy, a sobering undertow persists, revealing a world where a child's birthplace remains a devastatingly accurate predictor of their ability to read a simple sentence, and where millions, predominantly women, are still locked out by the written word.
Teachers and Infrastructure
- The global student-teacher ratio in primary education averaged 23.5 students per teacher in 2020
- In sub-Saharan Africa, primary pupil-teacher ratio is 44:1 in 2021, highest globally
- Worldwide, 69% of primary schools had access to basic drinking water in 2020
- Only 52% of schools in low-income countries have electricity in 2022 data
- Global shortage of 15 million teachers projected by 2030 for pre-primary to secondary levels
- In India, 85% of primary teachers are trained, but rural areas average 78% in 2021
- 90% of primary schools globally have basic sanitation facilities in 2020, up from 70% in 2015
- OECD countries average 15 students per primary teacher in 2022
- In Pakistan, secondary pupil-teacher ratio is 36:1 in 2021, contributing to overcrowding
- Only 6.6% of primary teachers in low-income countries have minimum training in 2020
- Primary schools in sub-Saharan Africa have 1 computer per 200 students on average in 2021
- 85 million children attend schools without basic handwashing facilities globally in 2022
- In rural India, 35% of schools lack functional toilets in 2021 UDISE data
- Global pre-primary teacher training rate is 78% in 2020
- OECD secondary schools average 1 teacher per 13 students in 2022
- In Yemen, 70% of schools are damaged or destroyed due to conflict in 2022
- 94% of primary schools in high-income countries have internet access in 2021
- Teacher absenteeism averages 19% in primary schools of low-income countries
- In Kenya, pupil-teacher ratio in primary is 41:1 in public schools 2021
- Globally, 1 in 4 schools lacks basic drinking water, affecting 360 million students
Teachers and Infrastructure Interpretation
A world where the ideal classroom is a global patchwork reveals our progress: while some regions enjoy enviable student-teacher ratios and near-universal internet, others struggle with rampant overcrowding, shattered infrastructure, and a chronic dearth of trained teachers, proving that educational equity remains a distant summit for millions.
Sources & References
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