Only 48 percent of upper secondary school age youth were enrolled globally in 2021, leaving participation gaps at the education stage where progression matters most. In Eastern and South Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 6 percent of children were out of school in 2021, marking a persistent regional enrollment shortfall. Worldwide, 142 million children and youth were not attending school due to emergencies and crisis conditions, while learning poverty affects at least one in five learners in 73 percent of countries.
Key Takeaways
- In Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Central Asia, 6% of children were out of school in 2021 (UNESCO/UNICEF/World Bank estimates), quantifying regional enrollment shortfall
- 48% of upper secondary school-age youth were enrolled globally in 2021, measuring the share in upper secondary education
- 142 million children and youth worldwide were not attending school due to emergencies and crisis contexts (2016–2021 estimate), quantifying conflict/displacement schooling pressure
- 73% of countries reported that at least one in five learners had learning poverty (unable to read), linked to inadequate school attendance and outcomes
- 6.4 million international students studied globally in 2020, serving as the baseline for recent international student mobility estimates
- 98,000 international students in 2022 were enrolled in New Zealand universities and institutes of technology and polytechnics, measuring inbound tertiary enrollment
- 1.9 million international students studied in the UK in 2023, measuring inbound tertiary international enrollment
- 13% of students in OECD countries reported missing school days during 2021 due to COVID-related disruptions, measuring student absence
- In 2021, 24% of school systems had not returned to pre-pandemic instruction levels, measuring incomplete recovery
- 12.6% of household income spent on education in OECD countries in 2021, measuring education affordability burden
- 2.3 billion US dollars in 2023 global student loan debt changes were recorded in OECD countries (net change in student loan balances), indicating tertiary financing dynamics
- US$ 15,000 average annual tuition and fees at public degree-granting institutions in the US for 2023–24 (out-of-state), measuring cost burden for non-residents
- 4.0% of US K-12 students were two or more races in 2023, measuring K-12 racial/ethnic composition share
- 17.2% of US public-school students were English learners in 2023, measuring EL prevalence in US K-12
- 21% of students in OECD countries reported truancy at least once in the last two weeks in PISA 2022, measuring attendance-related behavior
In 2022, learning gaps from absence and hunger persisted alongside big enrollment and affordability challenges worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Enrollment1 stats
01
In Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Central Asia, 6% of children were out of school in 2021 (UNESCO/UNICEF/World Bank estimates), quantifying regional enrollment shortfall
Interpretation
Global Enrollment Interpretation
In the Global Enrollment landscape, 6% of children were out of school in 2021 across Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Central Asia, revealing a persistent enrollment gap in that region.
02 · Category
Enrollment Levels6 stats
01
48% of upper secondary school-age youth were enrolled globally in 2021, measuring the share in upper secondary education
02
142 million children and youth worldwide were not attending school due to emergencies and crisis contexts (2016–2021 estimate), quantifying conflict/displacement schooling pressure
03
73% of countries reported that at least one in five learners had learning poverty (unable to read), linked to inadequate school attendance and outcomes
04
86% of children in the OECD were enrolled in at least secondary education in 2022, measuring secondary attainment participation in OECD
05
18.7 million students were enrolled in US public schools in fall 2023, measuring US public K-12 enrollment
06
8.0 million students were enrolled in US private for-profit degree-granting postsecondary institutions in fall 2023, measuring private for-profit enrollment volume
Interpretation
Enrollment Levels Interpretation
Across enrollment levels, only 48% of upper secondary school-age youth were enrolled globally in 2021, and with 142 million children and youth out of school due to emergencies and crisis pressures, participation at the secondary stage remains sharply constrained worldwide.
03 · Category
Student Mobility4 stats
01
6.4 million international students studied globally in 2020, serving as the baseline for recent international student mobility estimates
02
98,000 international students in 2022 were enrolled in New Zealand universities and institutes of technology and polytechnics, measuring inbound tertiary enrollment
03
1.9 million international students studied in the UK in 2023, measuring inbound tertiary international enrollment
04
37% of international students in the UK in 2023 came from China, measuring share by origin
Interpretation
Student Mobility Interpretation
In the student mobility landscape, the UK stood out in 2023 with 1.9 million international students and notably 37% coming from China, underscoring both the scale of inbound movement and the concentration of origin sources.
04 · Category
Disruption & Recovery2 stats
01
13% of students in OECD countries reported missing school days during 2021 due to COVID-related disruptions, measuring student absence
02
In 2021, 24% of school systems had not returned to pre-pandemic instruction levels, measuring incomplete recovery
Interpretation
Disruption & Recovery Interpretation
Even after COVID disruptions, 13% of students in OECD countries were still missing school days in 2021 and 24% of school systems had not yet recovered to pre-pandemic instruction levels, showing that disruption was widespread and recovery was incomplete.
05 · Category
Funding & Costs7 stats
01
12.6% of household income spent on education in OECD countries in 2021, measuring education affordability burden
02
2.3 billion US dollars in 2023 global student loan debt changes were recorded in OECD countries (net change in student loan balances), indicating tertiary financing dynamics
03
US$ 15,000average annual tuition and fees at public degree-granting institutions in the US for 2023–24 (out-of-state), measuring cost burden for non-residents
04
US$ 28.1 billion in federal student aid (grants) was awarded in 2022–23, measuring financial support volume
05
US$ 150.1 billion in total federal student aid was disbursed in 2022–23, measuring total aid flow size
06
6.9% of GDP was spent on education in OECD countries in 2021, measuring system investment intensity
07
€ 2.0 billion in 2021–2027 Erasmus Mundus actions supports international joint masters, measuring scholarship scale
Interpretation
Funding & Costs Interpretation
In the Funding and Costs picture, OECD countries spent 6.9% of GDP on education in 2021 and households devoted 12.6% of income to education while federal student aid in the US reached US$ 150.1 billion disbursed in 2022–23 and Erasmus Mundus provided €2.0 billion in 2021–2027, showing that education financing demands are large but are increasingly bolstered by substantial aid and international scholarship support.
06 · Category
Demographic Structure2 stats
01
4.0% of US K-12 students were two or more races in 2023, measuring K-12 racial/ethnic composition share
02
17.2% of US public-school students were English learners in 2023, measuring EL prevalence in US K-12
Interpretation
Demographic Structure Interpretation
In the demographic structure of US K-12 education, 17.2% of public-school students were English learners in 2023 while 4.0% identified as two or more races, showing that language background and racial diversity both play meaningful roles in the student population.
More related reading
07 · Category
Attendance & Outcomes3 stats
01
21% of students in OECD countries reported truancy at least once in the last two weeks in PISA 2022, measuring attendance-related behavior
02
13% of students in OECD countries reported arriving at school hungry at least once per week in 2018, measuring food-related attendance impact
03
50% of US students tested proficient or above in mathematics on NAEP in 2022 (Grade 8), measuring math outcome
Interpretation
Attendance & Outcomes Interpretation
In the Attendance & Outcomes category, 21% of OECD students reported truancy at least once in the past two weeks, yet in the United States 50% of Grade 8 students tested proficient or above in math on NAEP in 2022, suggesting that even when attendance problems exist, stronger academic outcomes can still be achieved by a substantial share of students.
08 · Category
Access And Attendance1 stats
01
21.2% of students in OECD countries reported arriving at school hungry at least once per week in 2018 (self-reported food insecurity and school hunger frequency), measuring food-related attendance risk
Interpretation
Access And Attendance Interpretation
In OECD countries, 21.2% of students said they arrived at school hungry at least once a week in 2018, pointing to a significant access and attendance risk tied to food insecurity.
09 · Category
Mobility And Demographics1 stats
01
1.0 million international students were studying in Germany in 2020 (inbound international students headcount), measuring Germany’s international higher-education enrolment volume
Interpretation
Mobility And Demographics Interpretation
In 2020, Germany hosted 1.0 million international students, underscoring the strong role of mobility in shaping the country’s higher-education demographics.
10 · Category
Costs And Financing2 stats
01
7.4% of household expenditure in the US was spent on education-related items in 2022 (share of household spending), measuring cost burden beyond tuition
02
€ 1.9 billion was spent by the Erasmus+ programme on higher education mobility in 2021 (budget execution for higher education mobility), measuring public spending supporting student exchange
Interpretation
Costs And Financing Interpretation
In the Costs And Financing category, education-related spending made up 7.4% of US household expenditures in 2022, while Europe backed higher education student mobility with €1.9 billion from Erasmus+ in 2021, showing that both private household burdens and public funding play major roles in how students finance education.
11 · Category
Learning Outcomes2 stats
01
48% of students in OECD countries reported they feel they belong at school “a lot” in 2022 (student sense of belonging index), measuring learning-related psychosocial engagement
02
51% of students in OECD countries reached at least baseline proficiency in reading in PISA 2022 (share at/above proficiency threshold), measuring reading achievement distribution
Interpretation
Learning Outcomes Interpretation
In OECD countries, learning outcomes look comparatively stronger for achievement than for engagement, with 51% of students reaching at least baseline reading proficiency in PISA 2022 while only 48% report feeling they belong at school “a lot” in 2022.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Student Population Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/student-population-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Student Population Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/student-population-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Student Population Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/student-population-statistics.
Sources & references
31 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+16 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)