88 School Statistics: 2025 Data, Analysis & Predictions

by Imed Bouchrika, Phd

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

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Access to quality education can bring various benefits to countries. For instance, prioritizing education may result in better access to advanced technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. Studies have resulted in similar findings. According to Ozturk (2001), for instance, countries that put a premium on quality education are also able to produce quality workers and competitive talent. Likewise, these nations’ populations benefit from thriving economies and industries.

Educated peoples everywhere also foster global understanding. To illustrate: 98% of students in a survey (Montanile, 2014) states that a strong understanding of world history and events is critical to developing solutions to a global problem

Economic development and fostering global understanding should be in the radar of world governments, serving as a prime impetus to invest in human capital everywhere, and substantially. In this school statistics article, we strive to investigate whether we’ll see any evidence of it happening everywhere or just in some selected regions of the world.

88 School Statistics Table of Contents

1. Global Enrollment Rates
2. Global Literacy Rates
3. What are the admission requirements for online education programs?
4. How Do Academic Pathways Translate to Career Success?
5. How Does Investing in Teacher Training Enhance Educational Outcomes?
6. Education Expenditure Statistics
7. Can online education bridge global learning gaps?
8. How can educational institutions support non-traditional learners?
9. How does accreditation impact the effectiveness of online education?
10. Can accelerated online degrees redefine career trajectories?

Global Enrollment Rates

Education is a primary global concern. In the past decades, enrollment in primary and secondary levels was dismal. However, the numbers have risen in the past years, as the enrollment statistics below show.

Early Childhood Education

• Globally, 175 million children are not enrolled in early childhood education (UNICEF Data, 2020).
• Over 25 countries have less than 25% of pre-primary aged children enrolled (UNICEF Data, 2020).
• China’s early childhood education enrollment increased from 26.6 million in 2010 to 46 million in 2018 (The World Bank Group, 2020).
• Indonesia had 14 million children enrolled in early childhood education (The World Bank Group, 2020).
• The Russian Federation’s early childhood enrollment rose from 6 million in 2013 to 7.3 million in 2017 (The World Bank Group, 2020).

Primary School

While primary school enrollment had achieved remarkable gains, elementary education completion rates have remained flat since 1999 (UNESCO IS, 2017b; Earle et al., 2018). Here are some key primary education statistics:

• According to U.S. school statistics, the enrollment rate at American primary schools is 95% (The World Bank, 2020).
• In the Arab World, the net enrolment rate for primary education in 2018 was 85.4% (The World Bank, 2020).
• In the same year, for East Asia and the Pacific, the enrollment rate was 96% (The World Bank, 2020).
• Meanwhile, in Europe and Central Asia, 96.1% of primary age children were enrolled (The World Bank, 2020).
• In the European Union, the number was 96.8% (The World Bank, 2020). Heavily indebted poor countries only had 80.4% of primary age children enrolled (The World Bank, 2020).
• High-income countries’ primary age children had a near-perfect enrollment at 96.3% (The World Bank, 2020).
• 94.9% of primary school children in Latin America and the Caribbean were enrolled in 2018 (The World Bank, 2020).
• In 2018, the adjusted net enrollment rate of primary school children was 90% (UNICEF Data, 2019).
• In 2016, the number was 1% higher, at 91% (UNICEF Data, 2019).

Secondary Level

Cheung and Chan (2008, cited in Cheung & Chan, 2009) found that, across countries, quality of education and enrollment rate are predicted by education expenditure. The following are some notable global secondary education statistics:

• 85% of lower secondary school-age children are enrolled in primary or secondary schools. That means around 4 out of 5 children go to school (UNICEF Data, 2019).
• Meanwhile, only 65% of upper secondary school-age youth are enrolled in primary, secondary, or higher education institutions (UNICEF Data, 2019).
• The gross enrollment ratio in East Asia and the Pacific is 92.5% for lower secondary education in 2018 (The World Bank, 2020).
• In the Arab World, that figure was 86.4% in 2018 (The World Bank, 2020). 
• For Europe and Central Asia, the gross enrollment ratio was 102.8% for 2018 (The World Bank, 2020).
• In the Middle East and North Africa, the gross enrollment ratio in 2018 was 93.6% (The World Bank, 2020).
• In Sub-Saharan Africa, only 51.3% of students are enrolled in lower secondary schools (The World Bank, 2020).
• In the West Bank and Gaza, 97.6% of children of secondary school age are enrolled (The World Bank, 2020).
• Globally, the completion rate for secondary students is 69% as of 2019 (UNICEF Data, 2019).
• Eastern Europe and Central Asia have the highest completion rate at 95% (UNICEF Data, 2019).
• Meanwhile, East Africa has the lowest completion rate at 36% (UNICEF Data, 2019).
• In the U.S., around 15.3 million students attended high school in 2019 (Bustamante, 2019).
• 3.3 million students graduated from high school in 2018. This number increased by 1% from 2017 (Bustamante, 2019).

Alternative Schools

Trade schools, which are referred to as vocational or career colleges, depending on the country, are specialized institutions that teach students technical and practical skills specific to the career path they are leaning towards. Among the courses that trade schools offer are carpentry, automotive, culinary arts, and fashion design (TBS Staff, 2020).

Unlike traditional college education, trade school education can be completed in two years or fewer. Another thing that differentiates it from college is that it offers rigorous hands-on training. On top of that, it can provide a direct pathway to a career, including for those seeking culinary arts degree requirements.

Similarly, recent trends in higher education also indicate the growing popularity of competency-based education, which is more focused on real-world outcomes.

Global

• Globally, there are 62.5 million vocational pupils in the secondary education level (The World Bank, 2020).
• In 2000, that figure was 45.8 million (The World Bank, 2020).
• Enrollment in vocational schools for middle-income countries and territories in 2018 was 46.3 million. It is the highest enrollment rate among income levels (The World Bank, 2020).
• Heavily-indebted poor countries had nearly 4 million students who took up technical or vocational courses in 2018 (The World Bank, 2020).

Americas

• The market size of the trade and technical schools industry in the United States is $16 billion (IBISWorld, 2020).
• In the school year 2016-2017, there were 2,246 non-degree-granting institutions in the U.S. (Number of educational institutions, 2018).
• 335 of those were public schools (Number of educational institutions, 2018).
• 1,911 of those were private schools (Number of educational institutions, 2018). Trade school enrollment in the United States rose from 9.6 million in 1999 to 16 million students in 2014 (TBS Staff, 2020).
• The Perry Technical Institute, one of the largest technical schools in the U.S., had 777 full-time students in 2019 (Thompson, 2019).
• Graduates from Perry Tech earn $54,300 annually on average (Thompson, 2019). 48% of trade school enrollment went to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning programs in 2018 in the U.S (Bustamante, 2019).
• 14% of vocational school students in the United States were aged 18 to 21 in 2018 (Bustamante, 2019).
• 45% of U.S. trade school enrollees were aged 22 to 37 in 2018 (Bustamante, 2019).
• 94% of technical school students were male in 2018 in the U.S. (Bustamante, 2019).
• Latin America and Caribbean countries or territories had nearly 8 million pupils in their technical and vocational institutions (The World Bank, 2020).

Europe

• 4.3% of students in lower secondary education enrolled in vocational programs in 2017 (Statistics Explained, 2019).
• In upper secondary education, that number is 47.8% (Statistics Explained, 2019). For post-secondary non-tertiary education, the figure reaches 92% (Statistics Explained, 2019).
• 30.5% of companies in the EU-28 in 2015 had 10 or more employees who underwent vocational training (Statistics Explained, 2019).
• The number of males enrolled in technical programs in 2017 for lower secondary education was higher: 4.8% (Statistics Explained, 2019).
• Meanwhile, 3.8% of female students were in vocational schools (Statistics Explained, 2019).
• Serbia had the highest enrollment rate in the upper secondary stage in 2017 at 74.4% (Statistics Explained, 2019).
• Ireland had the lowest at just 10.3% (Statistics Explained, 2019).
• In 2016, 47.2% of German residents had vocational training (Megayo, 2019).
• 1.3 million students were enrolled in the German Vocational Education and Training programs (Megayo, 2019).
• The European Union had a combined enrollment in technical and vocational schools of 11.2 million in 2018 (The World Bank, 2020).

Africa

• Vocational and technical schools only had 6% of the total secondary level enrollment in the African region in 2012.
• Only 2% to 6% of the education budget of African countries went to technical and vocational training (Africa-America Institute, 2015).
• In 2014, there were a total of 341 technical and vocational schools in South Africa (Macha & Kadakia, 2017).
• Enrollment in technical and vocational schools went up to 781,378 in 2014 in South Africa (Macha & Kadakia, 2017).
• That was double the number of enrollment in 2010, which was 405, 275 (Macha and Kadakia, 2017).
• For the Middle East and North Africa, enrollment rates hit 4.2 million in 2018 (The World Bank, 2020).

Asia

• In 2013, there were only nine technical schools in the United Arab Emirates (Hamdan, 2013).
• The Higher Colleges of Technology in the Emirates had around 20,000 students enrolled in 17 campuses (Hamdan, 2013).
• South Asia has over 3.6 million students enrolled in technical and vocational programs (The World Bank, 2020).
• East Asia and the Pacific had 22.9 million students who took up technical or vocational courses (The World Bank, 2020).

Global Literacy Rates 

Literacy has become a widely used determinant of the extent to which people gain the most fundamental skills required to effectively function in modern society (Dorius, 2013). UNESCO, in 2017, declared that literacy rates globally continue to rise from generation to generation, as is likewise indicated in education statistics worldwide. This is largely due to governments that have been pushing the literacy agenda for decades. This is despite the fact that the majority of countries did not meet the Education for All goals of slashing illiteracy by half in the period between 2000 and 2015 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2017).

Top Countries

• Uzbekistan and San Marino have 100% literacy rates in 2018 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2020).
• Italy and Singapore are not far behind with 99.93% literacy rates in 2018 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2020).
• Kazakhstan, Belarus, Latvia, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan, Spain, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and the Russian Federation also hover near 100% when it comes to literacy (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2020).
• Eastern Asian countries also have nearly 100% literacy at 99.59% (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2020).
• Among the countries with 99% literacy rates are Argentina, Aruba, Tonga, Romania, Mexico, Montenegro, and Peru (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2020).

Lowest Countries

• There are 16 countries that have below 50% literacy rates (The World Bank, 2020)
• The last known data for Somalia (1972), shows that the literacy rate was only at 5% (The World Bank, 2020).
• Chad had the lowest literacy rate in (last data in 2016) at 30.8% (UNICEF Data, 2019).
• However, according to The World Bank, the literacy rate was at 22% for the same year (The World Bank, 2020).
• Niger had a literacy rate of 31% in 2012 (The World Bank, 2020).
• The Central African Republic had a 38.3% literacy rate in 2018 (UNICEF Data, 2019).

Challenges

• 10% of the population has learning disabilities like dyscalculia, autism, and dyslexia (Butterworth & Kovas, 2013).
• About 466 million people globally have hearing loss that impairs their learning and function (WHO, 2020).
• Of those, 34 million are children (WHO, 2020).
• A study involving 1,000 children between the ages of 10 and 16 showed that 25% did not have a role model. Rather than receiving advice from parents, guardians, or teachers, they turned to YouTube (Knight, 2018).
• In a 2015 estimate, 10% of the global population (734 million) only had $1.90 per day for their living expenses, which affected children’s education (The World Bank, 2020).
• One in every five children is out of school (UNESCO, 2018).
• In the U.S., the average student-teacher ratio. in public schools is 16:1 (Public School Review, 2020).
• The highest student-teacher ratio for the U.S. is in Utah, which is 34:1 (Public School Review, 2020).
• The global pupil-teacher ratio in the primary levels is 23.44 (2018 data) (The World Bank, 2020).
• The highest ratio is 83, in the Central African Republic, according to 2016 data (The World Bank, 2020).

Solutions

According to UNESCO (2019), $14 billion is needed to fund literacy projects to achieve universal literacy. Fortunately, there are various non-profit organizations that extend a helping hand to those that need help.

Among the steps these organizations have taken are to offer teachers and leaders the resources to enable them to support students (ILA, n.d.). Foundations also counter illiteracy by working with families to promote reading and studying. Corporations can also help by encouraging basic training for adults (Literacy Foundation, n.d.).

What are the admission requirements for online education programs?

Prospective online students encounter a distinct admissions pathway that emphasizes validation of prior academic achievements and demonstrable competencies. Applicants must often submit tailored documentation, including transcripts, digital portfolios, or competency-based assessments, which align with the specialized structure of virtual programs. Institutions may additionally require clear articulation of career objectives and a commitment to continuous professional development. For further insights into navigating these criteria, refer to our guide on application for university online.

How Do Academic Pathways Translate to Career Success?

A targeted academic pathway that aligns with market demands is critical for sustained career advancement and economic mobility. Data indicate that structured curriculum reforms and direct industry collaborations can significantly enhance the relevance of educational programs, ultimately influencing long-term job prospects and income growth. Prospective students and policymakers alike benefit from evaluating program outcomes through metrics that capture employability and starting salaries. For an in-depth look at fields that offer lucrative career opportunities, refer to our article showing the highest paying bachelor degrees.

How Does Investing in Teacher Training Enhance Educational Outcomes?

In today’s evolving educational landscape, robust teacher training and professional development are critical to modernizing instructional methods and addressing diverse learner needs. Targeted training programs enable educators to integrate innovative pedagogical strategies and adaptive technology into their curriculum, thereby fostering more engaging and effective learning environments. These initiatives lead to measurable improvements in student performance and help institutions respond agilely to market and industry shifts. Additionally, models that offer flexible academic advancement, such as accelerated bachelor's degree online, illustrate the value of aligning teacher development with contemporary educational frameworks.

Education Expenditure Statistics

Studies indicate that government spending on education stimulates human capital development, which, in turn, helps boost labor productivity (Mankiw et al., 1992 cited in Vinichenko et al., 2017). How much they value education can also be seen on the budget they set aside for the agenda, relative to their GDPs.

Percentage of GDP/Average per Person

• Government expenditure per student worldwide for primary education was 15.56% of GDP per capita in 2013 (The World Bank, 2020).
• For secondary education, it was 20.08% in 2013 (The World Bank, 2020).
• In 2011, government expenditure per student at the tertiary level was 29.91% of GDP per capita (The World Bank, 2020).

Government Expenditure per Student (GDP per Capita) - Global

Source: Source: The World Bank, 2020

Designed by

Countries with the Highest Investment in Education

• In 2016, Sweden had the highest public spending on education relative to GDP at 7.1% (Statistics Explained, 2019).
• Finland followed closely at 6.6% (Statistics Explained, 2019).
• American Samoa had the highest investment in education with 14.6% (2006 data) (The World Bank, 2020).
• It is followed by Cuba, which allocates 12.8% towards education (2010 data) (The World Bank, 2020).
• The Federal States of Micronesia follows closely with 12.5% (2015 data).
• The Marshall Islands are not far behind at 12.2% (2003 data) (The World Bank, 2020).

Countries with the Lowest Investment in Education

• Romania had the lowest public investment in education relative to GDP in 2016 at just 2.6% (Statistics Explained, 2019).
• South Sudan has the lowest investment in education, according to 2017 data with just 1% of its GDP (The World Bank, 2020).

What innovative approaches are emerging in education for 2025?

As the education landscape continues to evolve, several innovative approaches are gaining traction, aiming to address challenges and enhance learning experiences. Here are some noteworthy trends:

• Personalized Learning: Educational institutions are increasingly adopting personalized learning models that tailor content and pacing to individual student needs, fostering greater engagement and comprehension.
• Blended Learning Environments: The integration of online and face-to-face instruction is becoming more common, allowing for flexible learning options and better access to resources, especially in underserved areas.
• Gamification of Learning: Educators are incorporating game design elements into curricula to motivate students, enhance retention, and make learning more enjoyable, particularly in subjects that students typically find challenging.
• Emphasis on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Schools are prioritizing SEL initiatives to support students' mental health and emotional well-being, recognizing its critical role in academic success and life skills.
• Use of Artificial Intelligence: AI technologies are being utilized to provide real-time feedback and support for students, helping to identify learning gaps and recommend personalized learning pathways.
• Community-Based Education Models: Collaboration between educational institutions and local communities is fostering a holistic approach to education, addressing both academic and socio-economic challenges faced by students.

Can online education bridge global learning gaps?

Online education has emerged as a strategic tool to overcome geographical and economic barriers to quality learning. Digital platforms provide flexible, accessible alternatives that complement traditional education systems, enhancing workforce readiness with specialized training and certifications. For instance, programs such as nursing programs online demonstrate how tailored e-learning solutions can serve diverse professional needs.

How can educational institutions support non-traditional learners?

Non-traditional learners, including military personnel and returning students, require education models tailored to their unique circumstances. Institutions can adopt flexible scheduling, competency-based assessments, and technology-driven course delivery to bridge these gaps effectively. In particular, integrating robust support systems and career counseling can enhance the transition from academic programs to professional environments. For example, resources like online colleges for military offer specialized programs that accommodate diverse life schedules and professional backgrounds. Collaborative efforts between academic institutions, industry partners, and governmental agencies further ensure that curriculum innovation meets the evolving demands of the contemporary workforce.

How does accreditation impact the effectiveness of online education?

Accreditation serves as a critical indicator of program quality by enforcing strict standards and continuous improvement in course delivery and content. Robust accreditation frameworks help both traditional institutions and digital learning platforms consistently meet industry benchmarks, thereby assuring academic integrity and enhancing post-graduation outcomes. This oversight not only builds trust among prospective students but also assists in aligning educational offerings with evolving employer expectations. For a comparative perspective on institutions that meet these rigorous standards, explore the top online universities in the US.

Can accelerated online degrees redefine career trajectories?

Accelerated online degree programs offer a streamlined pathway for professionals keen on rapid skill acquisition and immediate market impact. These programs merge intensive, practice-oriented curricula with innovation-driven learning, enabling students to quickly adapt to evolving industry demands. Notably, such models support career transitions by reducing time-to-degree without compromising academic quality. For an in-depth look at these offerings, consider exploring 12 months masters programs online.

Hope in the Horizon: Solutions to Mitigate Global School Challenges

In the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26 stipulates that “Everyone has the right to education." Unfortunately, tens of millions of children remain out of school because of circumstances such as poverty. Nevertheless, organizations and governments continue to ensure that every child is able to attend school, especially the primary or elementary levels. This has led to a steady increase in literacy worldwide.

Though it is still a long way to go before universal literacy, these small victories are worth celebrating. After all, international organizations’ education agendas have taken off and are becoming successful. The Education for All initiative by UNESCO may have fallen short of its goals, but it does not mean that other institutions are unable to achieve their own objectives.

Moreover, enterprises are pushing the envelope with corporate literacy programs. And in the grassroots level, members of the community are also helping in their own way to promote the importance of education.

Key Insights

• Global Enrollment Growth: Significant strides have been made in global enrollment rates across all educational levels. Early childhood, primary, and secondary school enrollments have shown notable increases, with some regions achieving near-universal primary education enrollment.
• Disparities in Education Access: Despite overall progress, significant disparities persist. Heavily indebted poor countries and Sub-Saharan Africa have the lowest enrollment rates and face substantial challenges in providing access to quality education.
• Vocational Education Popularity: Vocational and technical education is gaining traction worldwide, particularly in middle-income countries. This trend highlights a growing recognition of the importance of practical and career-oriented education.
• Literacy Rates Improvement: Global literacy rates continue to improve, driven by governmental efforts and international initiatives. However, literacy remains a significant challenge in several countries, particularly in regions with high poverty rates.
• Educational Expenditure: Investment in education varies widely across countries. Nations with higher education expenditures generally achieve better enrollment and literacy outcomes, highlighting the critical role of funding in educational success.
• Challenges and Solutions: Key challenges include learning disabilities, poverty, and inadequate educational infrastructure. Solutions involve increased funding, innovative teaching methods, and community and corporate support for literacy programs.

FAQ

1. What are the current global enrollment rates for primary and secondary education? Global enrollment rates for primary education are high, with regions like Europe and Central Asia achieving rates above 96%. However, secondary education enrollment rates are lower, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where only about 51.3% of students are enrolled in lower secondary schools.
2. How have literacy rates changed globally? Literacy rates have generally improved worldwide due to sustained governmental and international efforts. Countries like Uzbekistan and San Marino boast 100% literacy rates, while regions with high poverty rates, such as Chad and Niger, struggle with significantly lower literacy levels.
3. What factors contribute to disparities in education access? Disparities in education access are influenced by economic factors, governmental funding, socio-political stability, and cultural attitudes towards education. Regions with higher poverty rates and less governmental support typically have lower enrollment and literacy rates.
4. Why is vocational education becoming more popular globally? Vocational education is gaining popularity because it offers practical and career-oriented training that can lead to immediate employment. This type of education is particularly appealing in middle-income countries where there is a growing demand for skilled labor.
5. What are the key challenges to achieving universal literacy? Key challenges include poverty, learning disabilities, inadequate educational infrastructure, and insufficient funding. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach involving increased investment, innovative teaching methods, and community support.
6. How do countries with higher educational expenditures perform in terms of enrollment and literacy? Countries with higher educational expenditures generally perform better in terms of enrollment and literacy rates. For example, nations like Sweden and Finland, which invest a significant portion of their GDP in education, have high enrollment rates and near-universal literacy.
7. What solutions are being implemented to improve global education access and quality? Solutions include increasing governmental and international funding, implementing innovative teaching methods, and promoting community and corporate literacy programs. These efforts aim to provide universal access to education and improve literacy rates globally.
8. How does vocational education differ from traditional college education? Vocational education focuses on practical and technical skills specific to particular careers, offering hands-on training and shorter program durations. Traditional college education typically involves longer academic programs with a broader focus on theoretical knowledge.
9. What role do international organizations play in improving global education? International organizations like UNESCO play a crucial role by setting global education agendas, funding literacy projects, and promoting policies that encourage universal education. Their efforts contribute significantly to the steady improvement of global enrollment and literacy rates.
10. How can communities and corporations support education and literacy? Communities can support education by promoting the importance of literacy and providing resources for local schools. Corporations can contribute by funding literacy programs, offering basic training for adults, and supporting educational initiatives through corporate social responsibility programs.

References

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