Iceland had the highest inequality-adjusted education index score worldwide, amounting to **** out of one on the index. Germany followed with an index score of ****. The inequality-adjusted education index is the education index in the Human Development Index adjusted for inequality.

The average for 2021 based on 165 countries was 72.61 index points. The highest value was in Luxembourg: 422.59 index points and the lowest value was in Turkey: 10.85 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Context

In today's interconnected world, the issue of inequality in education stands as a stark reminder of the disparities that persist across countries and communities. While strides have been made to improve access to education, a significant proportion of children still lack the opportunity to learn, particularly in low-income and conflict-affected regions. Quality of education also diverges, with well-equipped schools in affluent areas contrasting with under-resourced institutions in marginalized settings. Gender inequality further compounds the problem, as cultural norms and economic factors often impede girls' education in certain societies. Tackling inequality in education isn't just a matter of fairness; it's a critical step towards building equitable societies and empowering individuals to contribute meaningfully to their own development and that of their nations.

Content

This dataset contains historical data covering a range of indicators pertaining to educational inequality on a global scale. The dataset's prominent components include: ISO3, Country, Human Development Groups, UNDP Developing Regions, HDI Rank (2021), and Inequality in Education spanning the years 2010 to 2021.

Dataset Glossary (Column-wise)

• ISO3 - ISO3 for the Country/Territory
• Country - Name of the Country/Territory
• Human Development Groups - Human Development Groups
• UNDP Developing Regions - UNDP Developing Regions
• HDI Rank (2021) - Human Development Index Rank for 2021
• Inequality in Education (2010) - Inequality in Education for 2010
• Inequality in Education (2011) - Inequality in Education for 2011
• Inequality in Education (2012) - Inequality in Education for 2012
• Inequality in Education (2013) - Inequality in Education for 2013
• Inequality in Education (2014) - Inequality in Education for 2014
• Inequality in Education (2015) - Inequality in Education for 2015
• Inequality in Education (2016) - Inequality in Education for 2016
• Inequality in Education (2017) - Inequality in Education for 2017
• Inequality in Education (2018) - Inequality in Education for 2018
• Inequality in Education (2019) - Inequality in Education for 2019
• Inequality in Education (2020) - Inequality in Education for 2020
• Inequality in Education (2021) - Inequality in Education for 2021

Data Dictionary

• UNDP Developing Regions:
  • SSA - Sub-Saharan Africa
  • LAC - Latin America and the Caribbean
  • EAP - East Asia and the Pacific
  • AS - Arab States
  • ECA - Europe and Central Asia
  • SA - South Asia

Structure of the Dataset

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Acknowledgement

This Dataset is created from Human Development Reports. This Dataset falls under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO License. You can check the Terms of Use of this Data. If you want to learn more, visit the Website.

Cover Photo by: Image by storyset on Freepik

Thumbnail by: Educational Vectors by Vecteezy

The average for 2021 based on 158 countries was 4.48 percent. The highest value was in Kiribati: 14.2 percent and the lowest value was in Nigeria: 0.38 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2021, Luxembourg was the OECD country that spent the highest amount on higher education per student, reaching roughly 35,000 U.S. dollars. This was even though it was the country that spent the lowest amount in terms of share of gross domestic product. The United States followed behind, with the United Kingdom in third. On the other hand, Mexico was the OECD country in which the lowest amount was spent per full-time student in higher education.

The average for 2022 based on 149 countries was 100.44 percent. The highest value was in Sierra Leone: 156.8 percent and the lowest value was in Liberia: 67.23 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This dataset shows which countries require individuals to first qualify as nurses before pursuing midwifery education. It provides insight into professional entry routes and highlights systems where midwifery is treated as an advanced nursing specialisation, supporting comparative analysis of education pathways and advocacy for varied, accessible routes into the profession. Data Source:State of the World"s Midwifery (SoWMy) global and regional reports: https://internationalmidwives.org/resources/state-of-the-worlds-midwifery-2021/The State of the World’s Midwifery (SoWMy) series of reports, led by ICM, UNFPA, and WHO, provides country-level data on the midwifery workforce, including national midwives" associations, education, leadership, and regulation. It highlights gaps and opportunities to strengthen midwife-led care and improve maternal and newborn health outcomes. Data were collected by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) in collaboration with Novametrics through a global midwifery regulatory survey.Data Dictionary: The data is collated with the following columns:Column headingContent of this columnPossible valuesRefNumerical counter for each row of data, for ease of identification1+CountryShort name for the country195 countries in total – all 194 WHO member states plus PalestineISO3Three-digit alphabetical codes International Standard ISO 3166-1 assigned by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). e.g. AFG (Afghanistan)ISO22 letter identifier code for the countrye.g. AF (Afghanistan)ICM_regionICM Region for countryAFR (Africa), AMR (Americas), EMR (Eastern Mediterranean), EUR (Europe), SEAR (South east Asia) or WPR (Western Pacific)CodeUnique project code for each indicator:GGTXXnnnGG=data group e.g. OU for outcomeT = N for novice or E for ExpertXX = identifier number 00 to 30nnn = identifier name eg mmre.g. OUN01sbafor Outcome Novice Indicator 01 skilled birth attendance Short_nameIndicator namee.g. maternal mortality ratioDescriptionText description of the indicator to be used on websitee.g. Maternal mortality ratio (maternal deaths per 100,000 live births)Value_typeDescribes the indicator typeNumeric: decimal numberPercentage: value between 0 & 100Text: value from list of text optionsY/N: yes or noValue_categoryExpect this to be ‘total’ for all indicators for Phase 1, but this could allow future disaggregation, e.g. male/female; urban/ruraltotalYearThe year that the indicator value was reported. For most indicators, we will only report if 2014 or more recente.g. 2020Latest_Value‘LATEST’ if this is the most recent reported value for the indicator since 2014, otherwise ‘No’. Useful for indicators with time trend data.LATEST or NOValueIndicator valuee.g. 99.8. NB Some indicators are calculated to several decimal places. We present the value to the number of decimal places that should be displayed on the Hub.SourceFor Caesarean birth rate [OUN13cbr] ONLY, this column indicates the source of the data, either OECD when reported, or UNICEF otherwise.OECD or UNICEFTargetHow does the latest value compare with Global guidelines / targets?meets targetdoes not meet targetmeets global standarddoes not meet global standardRankGlobal rank for indicator, i.e. the country with the best global score for this indicator will have rank = 1, next = 2, etc. This ranking is only appropriate for a few indicators, others will show ‘na’1-195Rank out ofThe total number of countries who have reported a value for this indicator. Ranking scores will only go as high as this number.Up to 195TrendIf historic data is available, an indication of the change over time. If there is a global target, then the trend is either getting better, static or getting worse. For mmr [OUN04mmr] and nmr [OUN05nmr] the average annual rate of reduction (arr) between 2016 and latest value is used to determine the trend:arr <-1.0 = getting worsearr >=-1.0 AND <=1.0 = staticarr >1.0 = getting betterFor other indicators, the trend is estimated by comparing the average of the last three years with the average ten years ago:decreasing if now < 95% 10 yrs agoincreasing if now > 105% 10 yrs agostatic otherwiseincreasingdecreasing Or, if there is a global target: getting better,static,getting worseNotesClarification comments, when necessary LongitudeFor use with mapping LatitudeFor use with mapping DateDate data uploaded to the Hub the following codes are also possible values: not reported does not apply don’t know This is one of many datasets featured on the Midwives’ Data Hub, a digital platform designed to strengthen midwifery and advocate for better maternal and newborn health services.

In 2021, Chile was the country that spent the highest share of its gross domestic product (GDP) on higher education, reaching 2.4 percent. Of this, 1.5 percent came from private sources. The United States followed behind with its total spending reaching 2.4 percent of its GDP. On the other hand, higher education spending in Saudi Arabia only amounted to 0.3 percent of its GDP. To find out more about the expenditure on higher education per student in selected countries worldwide, please click here.

The average for 2021 based on 58 countries was 92.58 percent. The highest value was in Romania: 100 percent and the lowest value was in Afghanistan: 42 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2022 based on 117 countries was 1.21 percent. The highest value was in Qatar: 1.79 percent and the lowest value was in Benin: 0.59 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2022 based on 119 countries was 55.47 percent. The highest value was in Greece: 166.67 percent and the lowest value was in Tanzania: 5.43 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2022, Canada had the highest share of adults with a university degree, at over 60 percent of those between the ages of 25 and 64. India had the smallest share of people with a university degree, at 13 percent of the adult population. University around the world Deciding which university to attend can be a difficult decision for some and in today’s world, people are not left wanting for choice. There are thousands of universities around the world, with the highest number found in India and Indonesia. When picking which school to attend, some look to university rankings, where Harvard University in the United States consistently comes in on top. Moving on up One of the major perks of attending university is that it enables people to move up in the world. Getting a good education is generally seen as a giant step along the path to success and opens up doors for future employment. Future earnings potential can be determined by which university one attends, whether by the prestige of the university or the connections that have been made there. For instance, graduates from the Stanford Graduate School of Business can expect to earn around 250,000 U.S. dollars annually.

Tribhuvan University in Nepal had approximately *** thousand full-time students in 2021. This was unquestionably the highest number of students of any Asia Pacific university, leaving Chinese and Thai universities lagging behind in terms of university student numbers. Despite the huge influx of students enrolled in Tribhuvan University, Australia still saw a dramatic surge in the number of Nepalese international students from 2015 onwards. This alludes to the fact that an international tertiary education was just as favorable as a domestic one. Interestingly, most of the universities which made the ranking for the highest number of students were situated in China. An Asia Pacific education Universities across the Asia Pacific region are experiencing a dramatic rise in student population. As a home to powerful and developing economies, it appears more students are eager to secure places in the higher education sectors which boast huge economic potential. China stands as the most popular country for international students in Asia and third most popular for international students globally. The large majority of international students in China are not reliant on Chinese governmental funding from scholarships and are self-funded. Therefore, huge investments are put into the Chinese economy. Other countries such as Thailand are too experiencing increased GDP contributions from the education sector. Despite the growing number of international students deciding to complete their higher education in China, many of the domestic Chinese students choose to study elsewhere in the Asia Pacific region. This is prevalent in the great influx of Chinese students arriving in Australia to study. Qualifications As a higher education in the Asia Pacific region is becoming more popular, initiatives have been set up to ensure qualifications are recognized throughout the many countries across Asia Pacific. The Tokyo Convention – an agreement made between Japan, South Korea, Australia, China and New Zealand – is designed to enable student and academic mobility. Simultaneously, the convention endorses the recognition of higher education qualifications throughout the Asia Pacific region. This in turn appears to encourage more domestic and international students to consider tertiary education in Asia Pacific, as their qualification will likely be recognized in their home countries and elsewhere in the region.

In the academic year 2023/24, there were 331,602 international students from India studying in the United States. International students The majority of international students studying in the United States are originally from India and China, totaling 331,602 students and 277,398 students respectively in the 2023/24 school year. In 2022/23, there were 467,027 international graduate students , which accounted for over one third of the international students in the country. Typically, engineering and math & computer science programs were among the most common fields of study for these students. The United States is home to many world-renowned schools, most notably, the Ivy League Colleges which provide education that is sought after by both foreign and local students. International students and college Foreign students in the United States pay some of the highest fees in the United States, with an average of 24,914 U.S. dollars. American students attending a college in New England paid an average of 14,900 U.S. dollars for tuition alone and there were about 79,751 international students in Massachusetts . Among high-income families, U.S. students paid an average of 34,700 U.S. dollars for college, whereas the average for all U.S. families reached only 28,026 U.S. dollars. Typically, 40 percent of families paid for college tuition through parent income and savings, while 29 percent relied on grants and scholarships.

The average for 2021 based on 13 countries was 86.52 percent. The highest value was in Uzbekistan: 100 percent and the lowest value was in Afghanistan: 37 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2021 based on 42 countries was 4.3 percent. The highest value was in Namibia: 10.39 percent and the lowest value was in Nigeria: 0.38 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2022, about 37.7 percent of the U.S. population who were aged 25 and above had graduated from college or another higher education institution, a slight decline from 37.9 the previous year. However, this is a significant increase from 1960, when only 7.7 percent of the U.S. population had graduated from college. Demographics Educational attainment varies by gender, location, race, and age throughout the United States. Asian-American and Pacific Islanders had the highest level of education, on average, while Massachusetts and the District of Colombia are areas home to the highest rates of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher. However, education levels are correlated with wealth. While public education is free up until the 12th grade, the cost of university is out of reach for many Americans, making social mobility increasingly difficult. Earnings White Americans with a professional degree earned the most money on average, compared to other educational levels and races. However, regardless of educational attainment, males typically earned far more on average compared to females. Despite the decreasing wage gap over the years in the country, it remains an issue to this day. Not only is there a large wage gap between males and females, but there is also a large income gap linked to race as well.

The average for 2021 based on 3 countries was 94.81 percent. The highest value was in Costa Rica: 98.04 percent and the lowest value was in Puerto Rico: 92.4 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2024, Switzerland led the ranking of countries with the highest average wealth per adult, with approximately ******* U.S. dollars per person. The United States was ranked second with an average wealth of around ******* U.S. dollars per adult, followed by Hong Kong SAR. However, the figures do not show the actual distribution of wealth. The Gini index shows wealth disparities in countries worldwide. Does wealth guarantee a longer life? As the adage goes, “money can’t buy you happiness,” yet wealth and income are continuously correlated to the quality of life of individuals in different countries around the world. While greater levels of wealth may not guarantee a higher quality of life, it certainly increases an individual’s chances of having a longer one. Although they do not show the whole picture, life expectancy at birth is higher in the wealthier world regions. Does money bring happiness? A number of the world’s happiest nations also feature in the list of those countries for which average income was highest. Finland, however, which was the happiest country worldwide in 2022, is missing from the list of the top twenty countries with the highest wealth per adult. As such, the explanation for this may be the fact that a larger proportion of the population has access to a high-income relative to global levels. Measures of quality of life Criticism of the use of income or wealth as a proxy for quality of life led to the creation of the United Nations’ Human Development Index. Although income is included within the index, it also has other factors taken into account, such as health and education. As such, the countries with the highest human development index can be correlated to those with the highest income levels. That said, none of the above measures seek to assess the physical and mental environmental impact of a high quality of life sourced through high incomes. The happy planet index demonstrates that the inclusion of experienced well-being and ecological footprint in place of income and other proxies for quality of life results in many of the world’s materially poorer nations being included in the happiest.

The university in the United States with the largest endowment market value in 2024 was Harvard University, with an endowment fund value of about 51.98 billion U.S. dollars. U.S. higher education Colleges and universities in the United States rank highly among the world’s most prestigious institutions of higher education. Many universities are particularly well known for their strong research capabilities and their connections to many Nobel Prize winning laureates.The U.S. university system is largely decentralized. Except for service academies and staff colleges, the federal government does not directly regulate universities; public universities are administered solely by the individual states. Besides the state administered public universities, there are many private universities in the United States, most are non-profit institutions, similar to the public universities, but there are also a number of institutions that rely on profit (Walden University in Minnesota, for example).In general, tuition fees are required to be paid by students at American universities. Public universities generally charge lower tuition rates to in-state students, than to out-of-state students. Private universities are often much more expensive than public ones because they do not receive funding from state governments.American students are often required to take out student loans to supplement scholarships and grants provided by diverse sources to be able to pay for tuition. Student debt has become a major issue in the United States in recent years, with many Americans unsure if they can even afford to pay off their student loans in the future.