With 332 million children and youth out of school in 2022, this post unpacks the biggest figures behind who is missing education, what is blocking access, and what it will take to change the trajectory.
Key Takeaways
- 332 million out-of-school children and youth (ages 6–17) worldwide in 2022
- 17% of children and youth (ages 6–17) were out of school in 2022
- 55% of out-of-school children live in countries affected by conflict or disaster
- 28% of teachers reported spending no time on lesson planning (OECD TALIS 2018 teacher survey global summary)
- 78% of lower secondary teachers reported being satisfied with their job (OECD TALIS 2018, participating countries)
- 39% of teachers in TALIS 2018 reported that professional development helps them improve classroom practice (OECD)
- The United States spent about $13,000 per public school student (average per pupil expenditure, 2019-20)
- OECD countries’ public expenditure on education averaged 4.8% of GDP in 2019 (OECD Education at a Glance 2021)
- Global education financing need for lower-income countries was estimated at $39 billion per year (UNESCO/education financing analysis)
- Global education software market size was about $75–$80 billion in 2021 (MarketsandMarkets sector report summary)
- Global online education market was valued at about $250 billion in 2020 (Statista report preview figure)
- Global learning management system (LMS) market size was about $20–$22 billion in 2021 (Fortune Business Insights summary)
- Udemy reported 55 million learners in 2020 (Udemy annual report)
- Udemy reported 64 million learners in 2021 (Udemy investor report)
- Khan Academy delivered over 1 billion lessons by 2017 (Khan Academy impact report)
Nearly 332 million children and youth were out of school in 2022, with progress stalled by conflict and underfunding.
Access & Equity
1332 million out-of-school children and youth (ages 6–17) worldwide in 2022[1]
Verified217% of children and youth (ages 6–17) were out of school in 2022[1]
Verified355% of out-of-school children live in countries affected by conflict or disaster[2]
Verified47.3 million children of primary school age were out of school in conflict-affected contexts (2019)[3]
Directional5129 million children worldwide are deprived of at least one education-related resource (learning materials, minimum literacy, or early childhood education), according to 2021 estimates[4]
Single source610% of out-of-school children worldwide are likely to never complete primary education (UNESCO estimate in 2016 framework)[5]
Verified753% of countries are off track to achieve universal primary completion by 2030 (UNESCO GEM Report 2022)[6]
Verified826% of out-of-school children are children with disabilities (global estimate)[7]
Verified950% of the global out-of-school population is concentrated in 10 countries (UNESCO UIS, 2022 out-of-school report)[2]
Directional101.7 billion students enrolled worldwide in 2020 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics estimate)[8]
Single source11Globally, 94% of students were enrolled in primary education in 2022 (gross enrolment ratio estimate)[9]
Verified1291% of children had access to at least one year of pre-primary education in 2022 (global estimate, UNESCO Institute for Statistics)[10]
Verified13250 million children will not complete primary school without acceleration (UNESCO/UIS 2019 projections)[11]
Verified1436% of countries do not report early childhood education participation data needed for SDG monitoring (UNESCO GEM Report 2023)[12]
Directional15Lower secondary completion rate averaged 84% in 2022 among LMICs (UIS/UNESCO dataset reference, GEM Report 2024)[13]
Single source16Upper secondary completion rate was 66% globally in 2022 (UNESCO GEM 2023)[14]
Verified17University enrolment increased from 97 million (1990) to 235 million (2021) globally (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)[15]
Verified18235 million students enrolled in tertiary education worldwide in 2021 (UIS/UNESCO)[15]
Verified19International students reached 6.3 million worldwide in 2022 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics/UN report citing UNESCO data)[16]
Directional2053% of international students were enrolled in tertiary education in Europe in 2022 (UNESCO data summary)[17]
Single source211.9 million refugees are out-of-school globally and face education barriers (UNHCR/UNICEF estimate)[18]
Verified2269% of refugees of primary school age were in school in 2022 (UNHCR education snapshot)[19]
Verified23Only 24% of refugees of secondary school age were in school in 2022 (UNHCR education snapshot)[19]
Verified2434% of out-of-school youth are 15–17 years old (UIS, 2022)[2]
Directional2554% of out-of-school youth are female (UIS, 2022)[2]
Single sourceAccess & Equity Interpretation
In 2022, 17% of the world’s 6 to 17-year-olds, or 332 million children and youth, were out of school, and the gap is especially severe in crisis settings where 55% live.
Teacher & Learning
128% of teachers reported spending no time on lesson planning (OECD TALIS 2018 teacher survey global summary)[20]
Verified278% of lower secondary teachers reported being satisfied with their job (OECD TALIS 2018, participating countries)[20]
Verified339% of teachers in TALIS 2018 reported that professional development helps them improve classroom practice (OECD)[20]
Verified426% of teachers reported lacking access to key resources for teaching (OECD TALIS 2018)[20]
Directional515% of teachers reported that they never use data to improve teaching (OECD TALIS 2018)[20]
Single source682% of teachers reported having some autonomy over the content they teach (OECD TALIS 2018, lower secondary)[20]
Verified7Across TALIS 2018, 34% of teachers said they feel they have adequate professional support (OECD)[20]
Verified847% of teachers participated in professional development within 12 months (OECD TALIS 2018, participating countries)[20]
Verified9Teachers reported working 37 hours per week on average (OECD TALIS 2018, lower secondary)[20]
Directional10Teachers reported 6.9 hours per week of instruction time on average (OECD TALIS 2018, lower secondary)[20]
Single source1153% of students in PISA 2018 reached at least baseline proficiency in reading, on average across OECD countries (OECD PISA 2018 results summary)[21]
Verified1222% of students in PISA 2018 were top performers in at least one subject (OECD definition for OECD average, reading/maths/science)[21]
Verified13At least 1 in 5 students in OECD countries were low performers in mathematics in PISA 2018 (OECD average)[21]
Verified14In PISA 2018, 76% of students reported feeling sense of belonging at school (OECD average indicator)[22]
Directional15In PISA 2018, 42% of students reported that they are interested in mathematics (OECD average indicator)[22]
Single source16In PISA 2018, 12% of students reported they do not enjoy science learning (OECD average)[22]
Verified17As of May 2020, 1.6 billion learners were affected; 99% of schools were closed globally (UNESCO situation report)[23]
Verified18Around 10% of students lacked access to remote learning due to no internet access (OECD analysis of PISA/education response)[24]
Verified19PISA 2018: 5% of students are 'low' performers in science at Level 1 or below in OECD average (OECD PISA 2018 science results)[21]
Directional20PISA 2018: 6% of students are in the lowest reading proficiency levels (Level 1 or below) in OECD average[21]
Single source21PISA 2018: 9% of students are at or above the top proficiency levels in mathematics (OECD average)[21]
Verified22In 2018, the average teacher in OECD countries was 44 years old (OECD Education at a Glance 2020 indicator)[25]
Verified23In OECD countries, teachers' average salaries for lower secondary general education teachers were about 1.0 times GDP per capita on average in 2018 (OECD Education at a Glance 2019)[26]
Verified24Teachers in many OECD countries spend 24% of their working time on teaching-related activities outside the classroom (OECD Education at a Glance 2020, based on TALIS/TIMSS time use)[25]
Directional25In 2018, 78% of lower secondary teachers reported using computers for instruction at least once a week (OECD TALIS 2018, where available)[20]
Single source26In 2018, 52% of lower secondary teachers reported using interactive whiteboards for instruction at least once a week (OECD TALIS 2018, where available)[20]
Verified27In 2018, 30% of teachers reported using online resources at least once a week (OECD TALIS 2018)[20]
Verified28On average, OECD students spent 5.5 hours per week learning mathematics in PISA 2018 (OECD indicator, where reported)[21]
Verified29On average, OECD students spent 6.0 hours per week learning reading/language arts in PISA 2018 (OECD indicator, where reported)[21]
Directional30UNESCO reported that 1 in 4 children and youth are not learning the basics in literacy by age 10 (global figure)[27]
Single source31UNICEF: 1 in 3 children globally lacked access to remote learning during COVID-19 (UNICEF 2020 evidence synthesis)[28]
Verified3212% of students globally had no access to radio/TV/internet for remote learning during COVID-19 (UNICEF 2020)[29]
Verified33In a meta-analysis, school closures during COVID-19 resulted in substantial learning losses (median effect size corresponding to months of learning)[30]
Verified34The JAMA study estimated learning losses equivalent to about 0.2–0.3 standard deviations for some grades after closures (quantitative finding referenced)[30]
DirectionalTeacher & Learning Interpretation
Across the OECD, teachers often lack the supports and resources they need, with 28% reporting no lesson planning time and 26% lacking key teaching resources, even as only 47% participated in professional development in the prior 12 months.
Finance & Spending
1The United States spent about $13,000 per public school student (average per pupil expenditure, 2019-20)[31]
Verified2OECD countries’ public expenditure on education averaged 4.8% of GDP in 2019 (OECD Education at a Glance 2021)[25]
Verified3Global education financing need for lower-income countries was estimated at $39 billion per year (UNESCO/education financing analysis)[32]
Verified4The Global Partnership for Education reported total grant commitments of about $3.9 billion for the 2021–2024 cycle (GPE)[33]
Directional5UNESCO estimated education accounted for about 12% of total official development assistance (ODA) in 2019 (UNESCO analysis)[34]
Single source6ODA to education reached about $16 billion in 2020 (OECD DAC CRS, as cited in UNESCO paper)[34]
Verified7Education spending in many LMICs is insufficient to meet learning targets; the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring estimate indicates a funding gap of around $97 billion per year (GEM 2023)[35]
Verified8GEM 2021 estimated an annual financing gap of $148 billion to achieve universal secondary education by 2030 (UNESCO)[36]
Verified9In 2021, worldwide spending on education increased with recovery; UNESCO Institute for Statistics reported education expenditure trends (UIS)[37]
Directional10Countries in sub-Saharan Africa spend an average of about 4% of GDP on education (UNESCO Institute for Statistics overview)[10]
Single source11OECD: public expenditure per student in primary education averaged about $9,000 (USD) in 2019 across member countries (OECD Education at a Glance 2021)[25]
Verified12OECD: public expenditure per student in tertiary education averaged about $13,000–$15,000 (USD) in 2019 across OECD countries (OECD Education at a Glance 2021)[25]
Verified13Global education aid (ODA) totaled about $16.5 billion in 2021 (OECD DAC, as summarized in UNESCO analysis)[34]
Verified14The Global Partnership for Education mobilized $2.4 billion in financing for developing countries in 2022 (GPE annual report)[38]
Directional15GPE approved about 75 new grants for education in 2022 (GPE)[38]
Single source16World Bank financing commitments for education in FY2023 were about $8.1 billion (World Bank education results/commitments)[39]
Verified17World Bank: education accounted for about 9% of World Bank lending commitments in FY2023 (share indicator)[39]
Verified18UNESCO: total education spending in low- and middle-income countries is estimated to require an additional $39 billion annually to achieve SDG4 targets (UNESCO GEM financing estimates)[32]
Verified19The annual cost of achieving universal primary education was estimated at $26 billion in 2015 prices (UNESCO education financing study referenced by GEM)[40]
Directional20The annual cost to ensure universal lower secondary education was estimated at about $52 billion in 2015 prices (UNESCO financing study)[40]
Single source21The annual cost to provide universal upper secondary education was estimated at about $97 billion in 2015 prices (UNESCO financing study)[40]
Verified22By 2021, 60% of countries increased education budgets during COVID-19 response periods (UNESCO policy tracking)[41]
Verified23UNESCO estimated that education budget shortfalls from COVID-19 in some countries reached 10%–15% of planned education expenditures (UNESCO GEM 2021)[42]
Verified24In 2021, the UNESCO Global Education Coalition estimated it supported over 200 million learners through digital learning initiatives (UNESCO/GECE dashboard)[43]
Directional25The UNESCO Global Education Coalition partners reached 200+ countries and territories by 2021 (UNESCO GECE)[43]
Single sourceFinance & Spending Interpretation
Despite education spending rising after COVID-19, the world still faces a massive financing gap, with estimated needs of about $39 billion per year for lower-income countries and an additional shortfall of roughly $97 billion annually to meet learning targets.
Market Size
1Global education software market size was about $75–$80 billion in 2021 (MarketsandMarkets sector report summary)[44]
Verified2Global online education market was valued at about $250 billion in 2020 (Statista report preview figure)[45]
Verified3Global learning management system (LMS) market size was about $20–$22 billion in 2021 (Fortune Business Insights summary)[46]
Verified4Global virtual classroom market was expected to reach $14.5 billion by 2027 (Fortune Business Insights summary)[47]
Directional5Global educational games market size was about $9.2 billion in 2022 (Fortune Business Insights summary)[48]
Single source6Global tutoring services market size was estimated around $68 billion in 2021 (Grand View Research summary)[49]
Verified7Global AI in education market size was projected to reach $7.7 billion by 2024 (MarketsandMarkets summary)[50]
VerifiedMarket Size Interpretation
With global online education at about $250 billion in 2020 and multiple fast-growing segments like AI in education projected to hit $7.7 billion by 2024 and virtual classrooms expected to reach $14.5 billion by 2027, the data shows education technology is expanding rapidly across both traditional platforms and new immersive learning formats.
Industry Trends
1Udemy reported 55 million learners in 2020 (Udemy annual report)[51]
Verified2Udemy reported 64 million learners in 2021 (Udemy investor report)[52]
Verified3Khan Academy delivered over 1 billion lessons by 2017 (Khan Academy impact report)[53]
Verified4By 2021, Khan Academy learners completed over 4 billion learning exercises (Khan Academy impact report metrics)[53]
Directional5Global online course enrollments exceeded 180 million in 2021 (Class Central annual report)[54]
Single source6In 2021, 187 million online course enrollments were tracked globally by Class Central (Class Central)[54]
Verified7Class Central tracked 12,000+ institutions offering online courses in 2021 (Class Central report)[54]
Verified8MOOC learning hours increased to 4.6 billion hours in 2020 (Class Central/industry report summary)[55]
Verified9In 2020, 12% of K-12 students worldwide used learning platforms during COVID-19 (UNESCO/OECD education response survey synthesis)[56]
Directional10By 2021, 90% of countries implemented some form of remote learning during school closures (UNESCO policy monitoring)[57]
Single source11Most remote learning efforts used TV/radio: 70% of countries reported TV/radio as a channel (UNESCO policy monitoring)[57]
Verified12Most remote learning efforts used online platforms: 65% of countries reported internet-based online learning (UNESCO policy monitoring)[57]
Verified13In 2020, 73% of countries provided printed learning materials (UNESCO policy monitoring)[57]
Verified14In 2020, 44% of countries provided offline digital materials (USB/preloaded tablets) (UNESCO policy monitoring)[57]
Directional15In 2020, 40% of countries reported providing guidance to teachers for online teaching (UNESCO policy monitoring)[57]
Single source16Global share of students using mobile learning during COVID-19: 30% (UNESCO remote learning monitoring evidence synthesis)[57]
Verified17In remote learning during COVID-19, 70% of countries reported using TV and/or radio (UNESCO remote learning monitoring)[57]
Verified18In remote learning during COVID-19, 65% of countries reported using online learning platforms (UNESCO remote learning monitoring)[57]
Verified19In remote learning during COVID-19, 45% of countries reported using structured printed materials (UNESCO remote learning monitoring)[57]
Directional20In remote learning during COVID-19, 40% of countries reported using radio for instruction (UNESCO remote learning monitoring)[57]
Single source21In remote learning during COVID-19, 25% of countries reported using offline digital devices (UNESCO remote learning monitoring)[57]
Verified22In 2021, 16% of the world’s learners were enrolled in some form of distance learning due to COVID-related arrangements (UNESCO global monitoring estimate)[57]
VerifiedIndustry Trends Interpretation
In just 2020 to 2021, global online education surged to at least 187 million course enrollments tracked worldwide in 2021 and 4.6 billion learning hours reported for 2020, with remote learning reaching 90% of countries amid the COVID-19 period.
Digital Divide
1Across 105 countries with available data, the average student-to-computer ratio was 3.6 at the lower secondary level (UIS/UNESCO education technology indicator dataset used in UNESCO report)[58]
Verified2In low-income countries, student-to-computer ratios were far higher; average was 14.1 students per computer (UIS/UNESCO indicator dataset used in UNESCO report)[58]
Verified3In low-income countries, 20% of schools had internet connectivity (UNESCO/UIS education connectivity indicator)[58]
Verified4In high-income countries, 95% of schools had internet connectivity (UNESCO/UIS education connectivity indicator)[58]
Directional5Globally, about 1.3 billion people lacked access to the internet in 2019 (ITU definition for digital divide; education-relevant connectivity context)[59]
Single source6In 2023, 66% of the world’s population used the internet (ITU), implying 34% offline[60]
Verified734% of the global population was not using the internet in 2023 (ITU)[60]
Verified8In 2021, 63% of schools had internet (UNESCO Institute for Statistics school internet indicator in 2021 estimates)[61]
Verified9In 2021, 88% of schools in high-income countries had internet (UNESCO UIS school connectivity indicator)[61]
Directional10In 2021, 24% of schools in least developed countries had internet (UNESCO UIS school connectivity indicator)[61]
Single source11OECD: 21% of students lack a computer for schoolwork at home in OECD countries (PISA ICT access indicator, 2018)[62]
Verified12OECD: 15% of students lack internet access at home (PISA ICT access indicator, 2018)[62]
Verified13In low-income countries, the median share of learners with access to a computer at home was 12% (UNESCO/ITU education connectivity evidence synthesis)[58]
Verified14In low-income countries, the median share of learners with access to the internet at home was 9% (UNESCO/ITU education connectivity evidence synthesis)[58]
Directional15In the OECD, 73% of schools had access to broadband internet (OECD education digital indicators, 2018/2019 synthesis)[63]
Single source16In least developed countries, only 20% of schools had broadband internet (UNESCO UIS education connectivity indicator)[58]
Verified17UNESCO found that 38% of schools lacked electricity in some low-resource settings (UNESCO report on connectivity in education)[58]
Verified18Average bandwidth at schools can be limited; some low-income contexts had median download speeds below 1 Mbps (UNESCO connectivity evidence summary)[58]
Verified19In 2022, the number of mobile broadband subscriptions globally reached about 5.5 billion (ITU), enabling potential access to mobile learning[60]
DirectionalDigital Divide Interpretation
Across the world, internet access remains sharply unequal, with 95% of schools in high income countries connected but only 20% in least developed countries and low income contexts still averaging 14.1 students per computer.
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