Global primary enrollment stands at 102 percent. Learning poverty reaches 70 percent across sub-Saharan Africa. UNESCO and World Bank figures detail how enrollment gaps, school closures, and funding shortfalls affect outcomes worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- The global out-of-school rate for upper secondary is 20% in 2022 (UNESCO UIS out-of-school estimates)
- In the 2022–2023 school year, global gross enrollment rate (primary) was about 102% (including out-of-age enrollment) (UNESCO UIS)
- In 2022, primary school attendance was 84% in low-income countries compared with 91% globally for primary-age children (UNESCO UIS)
- Refugees account for 7% of the total global out-of-school population in age bands 3–18 (UNESCO/UNHCR education in emergencies estimates)
- 22% of schools globally lack basic electricity for instruction (UNESCO GEM 2020/2021 household and school access analysis)
- 34% of households with children aged 6–17 lack internet access needed for remote learning during COVID-19 (UNICEF global estimate, 2021)
- 73% of countries reported learning losses among students due to COVID-19-related school closures (UNESCO survey, 2022)
- 1.6 billion learners were affected by school closures at the peak of COVID-19 in 2020
- $142 billion: estimated annual learning poverty-related economic loss in low- and middle-income countries attributable to educational shortfalls (World Bank learning poverty economics overview)
- In 2021, education received 8.6% of total bilateral ODA for social infrastructure and services (OECD/DAC, summarized in Education at a Glance 2023)
- $10 billion: estimated additional annual funding gap to achieve universal primary and secondary education in low-income countries (World Bank education financing estimates)
- 90% of students in low- and middle-income countries did not achieve minimum reading proficiency in 2022 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics learning poverty estimates)
- 38% of primary-age students worldwide were in school systems that lacked foundational reading assessment in 2021 (UNESCO data in GEM Report)
- In 2023, the World Bank estimated learning poverty was 70% in sub-Saharan Africa
- 56% of governments reported using some form of digital learning platforms for remote instruction during COVID-19 (UNESCO report on distance learning, 2020/2021)
Learning losses and learning poverty remain widespread, even as out of school rates and digital access improve.
Related reading
01 · Category
Enrollment & Access4 stats
01
The global out-of-school rate for upper secondary is 20% in 2022 (UNESCO UIS out-of-school estimates)https://uis.unesco.org/en/news/262-million-children-and-youth-out-school-2022
02
In the 2022–2023 school year, global gross enrollment rate (primary) was about 102% (including out-of-age enrollment) (UNESCO UIS)https://uis.unesco.org/en/uis-data
03
In 2022, primary school attendance was 84% in low-income countries compared with 91% globally for primary-age children (UNESCO UIS)https://uis.unesco.org/en/news/attendance-rates-2022
04
Upper secondary completion worldwide was about 60% in 2022 (UNESCO UIS/GEM estimates)https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000384981
Interpretation
Enrollment & Access Interpretation
Enrollment and access are improving at the primary level, with the global gross enrollment rate reaching about 102% in 2022–2023, but large gaps remain across the education pipeline, including an upper secondary out-of-school rate of 20% in 2022 and only about 60% upper secondary completion worldwide.
02 · Category
Equity & Inclusion7 stats
01
Refugees account for 7% of the total global out-of-school population in age bands 3–18 (UNESCO/UNHCR education in emergencies estimates)https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/education-global-report-2023.pdf
02
22% of schools globally lack basic electricity for instruction (UNESCO GEM 2020/2021 household and school access analysis)https://www.unesco.org/gem-report/en/
03
34% of households with children aged 6–17 lack internet access needed for remote learning during COVID-19 (UNICEF global estimate, 2021)https://www.unicef.org/media/101566/file/Remote%20learning%20and%20education%20inequality.pdf
04
10% of the world’s population lives with a disability and more likely to face education barriers (WHO estimate, used in education inclusion frameworks)https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health
05
UNESCO estimates that 244 million children and youth were affected by conflict in 2022 (UNESCO education and conflict overview)https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380754
06
In 2021, 75% of low-income countries reported shortages of qualified teachers (UNESCO UIS/GEM evidence)https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379861
07
In 2022, about 40% of teachers globally have received no training in digital tools (UNESCO survey results summarized in global education technology reports)https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381762
Interpretation
Equity & Inclusion Interpretation
Across Equity and Inclusion, the data shows that learning access is uneven on multiple fronts, from 7% of out-of-school children and youth being refugees to 22% of schools without basic electricity and 34% of households lacking internet for remote learning, all of which compounds barriers for conflict-affected students, people with disabilities, and low-income countries facing teacher shortages.
03 · Category
Out Of School2 stats
01
73% of countries reported learning losses among students due to COVID-19-related school closures (UNESCO survey, 2022)https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380825
02
1.6 billion learners were affected by school closures at the peak of COVID-19 in 2020https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
Interpretation
Out Of School Interpretation
For the out of school angle, the data shows that learning losses hit 73% of countries and that 1.6 billion learners were affected at the COVID-19 peak, underscoring how closures rapidly pushed large populations outside normal schooling and into widespread educational disruption.
More related reading
04 · Category
Financing & Costs4 stats
01
$142 billion: estimated annual learning poverty-related economic loss in low- and middle-income countries attributable to educational shortfalls (World Bank learning poverty economics overview)https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/learning-poverty
02
In 2021, education received 8.6% of total bilateral ODA for social infrastructure and services (OECD/DAC, summarized in Education at a Glance 2023)https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2023_eag-2023-en
03
$10 billion: estimated additional annual funding gap to achieve universal primary and secondary education in low-income countries (World Bank education financing estimates)https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099091223082321442/education-financing-gap-low-income
04
45% of countries reported that education budgets were affected by COVID-19 in 2021 (UNESCO/World Bank survey evidence summarized in policy briefs)https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000378843
Interpretation
Financing & Costs Interpretation
Financing and costs remain a major constraint, with an estimated $142 billion in learning-poverty losses tied to inadequate education in low and middle income countries and only 8.6% of bilateral ODA for social infrastructure and services going to education, while an additional $10 billion a year is needed to reach universal primary and secondary education and 45% of countries reported that COVID-19 disrupted education budgets in 2021.
05 · Category
Learning Outcomes3 stats
01
90% of students in low- and middle-income countries did not achieve minimum reading proficiency in 2022 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics learning poverty estimates)https://uis.unesco.org/en/news/learning-poverty-reaches-record-high
02
38% of primary-age students worldwide were in school systems that lacked foundational reading assessment in 2021 (UNESCO data in GEM Report)https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381322
03
In 2023, the World Bank estimated learning poverty was 70% in sub-Saharan Africahttps://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099210003142330938/learning-poverty-update-2023
Interpretation
Learning Outcomes Interpretation
Learning outcomes remain deeply compromised as shown by 90% of students in low and middle income countries failing to reach minimum reading proficiency in 2022 and 70% learning poverty in sub Saharan Africa in 2023, revealing that insufficient reading skills persist as a core barrier to education quality.
06 · Category
Edtech & Digital5 stats
01
56% of governments reported using some form of digital learning platforms for remote instruction during COVID-19 (UNESCO report on distance learning, 2020/2021)https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374617
02
The global LMS market reached about $26.2 billion in 2023 with continued growth (MarketsandMarkets or similar market research)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/learning-management-system-lms-market-255.html
03
The global virtual classroom market size was estimated at about $5.5 billion in 2022 (Grand View Research)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/virtual-classroom-market
04
The global education services outsourcing (ESO) market was estimated at about $120–$130 billion in 2023 (industry estimates cited by ResearchAndMarkets/IMARC)https://www.imarcgroup.com/education-services-outsourcing-market
05
$6.1 billion: global spending on tutoring and education technology for tutoring services in 2023 (Business Research Company report cited)https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/education-tutoring-services-global-market-report
Interpretation
Edtech & Digital Interpretation
As digital learning rapidly scaled during and after COVID 19, with 56% of governments using digital platforms for remote instruction, the Edtech and digital education markets followed suit with strong investment growth such as the $26.2 billion global LMS market in 2023 and $6.1 billion spent on tutoring and education technology in 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Gaps in access, attendance, and completion
Key education indicators show substantial shortfalls across access, participation, and completion—especially for upper secondary and in lower-income settings.
20%
The global out-of-school rate for upper secondary is 20% in 2022 (UNESCO UIS out-of-school estimates)
84%
In 2022, primary school attendance was 84% in low-income countries compared with 91% globally for primary-age children (
60%
Upper secondary completion worldwide was about 60% in 2022 (UNESCO UIS/GEM estimates)
102%
In the 2022–2023 school year, global gross enrollment rate (primary) was about 102% (including out-of-age enrollment) (U
90%
90% of students in low- and middle-income countries did not achieve minimum reading proficiency in 2022 (UNESCO Institut
source-verifieduis.unesco.org · unesdoc.unesco.org2022
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Elena Vasquez. (2026, February 13). World Education Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/world-education-statistics
MLA
Elena Vasquez. "World Education Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/world-education-statistics.
Chicago
Elena Vasquez. 2026. "World Education Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/world-education-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report
+11 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)