Context

The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to countries of the world for capital projects. The World Bank's stated goal is the reduction of poverty. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank

Content

This dataset combines key education statistics from a variety of sources to provide a look at global literacy, spending, and access.

For more information, see the World Bank website.

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Acknowledgements

https://bigquery.cloud.google.com/dataset/bigquery-public-data:world_bank_health_population

http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/ed-stats

https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/public-data/world-bank-education

Citation: The World Bank: Education Statistics

Dataset Source: World Bank. This dataset is publicly available for anyone to use under the following terms provided by the Dataset Source - http://www.data.gov/privacy-policy#data_policy - and is provided "AS IS" without any warranty, express or implied, from Google. Google disclaims all liability for any damages, direct or indirect, resulting from the use of the dataset.

Banner Photo by @till_indeman from Unplash.

Inspiration

Of total government spending, what percentage is spent on education?

This statistic shows the results of a 2018 survey conducted by Ipsos in 28 countries around the world on socialism. During the survey, the respondents were asked if they agree or disagree with the notion that education should be free of charge in their country. This statistic only shows those respondents who somewhat or strongly agreed with this statement. Some 98 percent of respondents in Russia agreed somewhat or strongly with this statement.

US: School Enrollment: Preprimary: % Gross data was reported at 69.492 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 69.917 % for 2014. US: School Enrollment: Preprimary: % Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 60.389 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 70.965 % in 1996 and a record low of 37.734 % in 1972. US: School Enrollment: Preprimary: % Gross data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Preprimary education refers to programs at the initial stage of organized instruction, designed primarily to introduce very young children to a school-type environment and to provide a bridge between home and school.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

This dataset combines key education statistics from a variety of sources to provide a look at global literacy, spending, and access. This public dataset is hosted in Google BigQuery and is included in BigQuery's 1TB/mo of free tier processing. This means that each user receives 1TB of free BigQuery processing every month, which can be used to run queries on this public dataset. Watch this short video to learn how to get started quickly using BigQuery to access public datasets. What is BigQuery .

As of 2023, based on data dating back to 2021, Angola was the country worldwide where the lowest share of the population had a higher education of a bachelor's degree or higher. A high number of the countries on the list were located in Sub-Saharan Africa. On the other hand, Montenegro was the country where the highest share of the population had completed a bachelor's degree or more.

US: School Enrollment: Preprimary: Female: % Gross data was reported at 68.891 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 70.205 % for 2014. US: School Enrollment: Preprimary: Female: % Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 63.943 % from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2015, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 70.447 % in 1996 and a record low of 51.131 % in 1981. US: School Enrollment: Preprimary: Female: % Gross data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Preprimary education refers to programs at the initial stage of organized instruction, designed primarily to introduce very young children to a school-type environment and to provide a bridge between home and school.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

The number of pupils in primary education worldwide increased over the past years. While around 655 million children were enrolled in primary school in 2000, the number reached nearly 770 million pupils in 2023. During the same time period, more and more pupils completed primary education, standing at nearly 90 percent in 2023. Secondary education Since the turn of the millennium, the number of students in secondary education also increased significantly. About 452 million children were enrolled in some kind of secondary education in 2000; a number which has grown to 641 million in 2023. At the same time, the completion rate of lower secondary education also increased, reaching over 74 percent. Increasing literacy rates Moreover, as more and more pupils enter and complete education, both youth and adult literacy rates increased worldwide, particularly among girls and women. Nevertheless, illiteracy remains a challenge in some world regions, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Overall, enrollment ratios in upper secondary education increased in all world regions since 2000. The increase was particularly remarkable in East and South-East Asia, as well as Central and South Asia. The increase in these regions must be seen in relation with increasing education that usually comes with increasing levels of development. Enrollment rates above 100 percent in Europe and North America are due to differences in data collection and inflows and outflows of students.

In 2022, Canada had the greatest number of international students compared to their entire higher education population, with nearly ** percent of students being international. Australia followed with a share of ** percent of the students being international, while the United Kingdom ranked third.

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is the official and trusted source of internationally comparable data on education, science, culture and communication. As the official statistical agency of UNESCO, and the custodian agency for Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Education (SDG 4), the UIS produces a wide range of data to inform the policies and investments needed to transform lives and propel the world towards its development goals. This collection includes only a subset of indicators from the source dataset.

Contains data from the World Bank's data portal. There is also a consolidated country dataset on HDX.

Education is one of the most powerful instruments for reducing poverty and inequality and lays a foundation for sustained economic growth. The World Bank compiles data on education inputs, participation, efficiency, and outcomes. Data on education are compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics from official responses to surveys and from reports provided by education authorities in each country.

This Cost of International Education dataset compiles detailed financial information for students pursuing higher education abroad. It covers multiple countries, cities, and universities around the world, capturing the full tuition and living expenses spectrum alongside key ancillary costs. With standardized fields such as tuition in USD, living-cost indices, rent, visa fees, insurance, and up-to-date exchange rates, it enables comparative analysis across programs, degree levels, and geographies. Whether you’re a prospective international student mapping out budgets, an educational consultant advising on affordability, or a researcher studying global education economics, this dataset offers a comprehensive foundation for data-driven insights.

Description

Potential Uses

• Budget Planning Prospective students can filter by country, program level, or university to forecast total expenses and compare across destinations.
• Policy Analysis Educational policymakers and NGOs can assess the affordability of international education and design support programs.
• Economic Research Economists can correlate living-cost indices and tuition levels with enrollment rates or student demographics.
• University Benchmarking Institutions can benchmark their fees and ancillary costs against peer universities worldwide.

Notes on Data Collection & Quality

• Currency Conversions All monetary values are unified to USD using contemporaneous exchange rates to facilitate direct comparison.
• Living Cost Index Derived from reputable city-index publications (e.g., Numbeo, Mercer) to standardize disparate cost-of-living metrics.
• Data Currency Exchange rates and fee schedules should be periodically updated to reflect market fluctuations and policy changes.

Feel free to explore, visualize, and extend this dataset for deeper insights into the true cost of studying abroad!

During a global survey of students conducted in mid-2024, it was found that a whopping ** percent said they were using artificial intelligence tools in their schoolwork. Almost a ****** of them used it on a daily basis.

The completion rate of primary schools worldwide stood at almost 90 percent in 2023. The completion rate increased over the past two decades as only about 82 percent of children in lower secondary age finished school in 2000. By comparison, the completion rate of lower secondary school was around 75 percent in 2023.

Out of the OECD countries, Luxembourg was the country that spent the most on educational institutions per full-time student in 2020. On average, 23,000 U.S dollars were spent on primary education, nearly 27,000 U.S dollars on secondary education, and around 53,000 U.S dollars on tertiary education. The United States followed behind, with Norway in third. Meanwhile, the lowest spending was in Mexico.

ML: Over-Age Students: Primary: % of Enrollment data was reported at 11.563 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 7.908 % for 2014. ML: Over-Age Students: Primary: % of Enrollment data is updated yearly, averaging 11.455 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 25.627 % in 1972 and a record low of 0.000 % in 2002. ML: Over-Age Students: Primary: % of Enrollment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mali – Table ML.World Bank: Education Statistics. Over-age students are the percentage of those enrolled who are older than the official school-age range for primary education.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

ML: Educational Attainment: At Least Competed Short-Cycle Tertiary: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data was reported at 2.072 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.224 % for 2011. ML: Educational Attainment: At Least Competed Short-Cycle Tertiary: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 2.072 % from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2015, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.224 % in 2011 and a record low of 1.914 % in 2006. ML: Educational Attainment: At Least Competed Short-Cycle Tertiary: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mali – Table ML.World Bank: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed short-cycle tertiary education.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Primary: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data was reported at 98.774 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 98.793 % for 2014. United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Primary: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 98.677 % from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2015, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98.867 % in 2013 and a record low of 94.500 % in 1970. United States US: Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Primary: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed primary education.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

United States US: Secondary Education: Pupils: % Female data was reported at 49.172 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 49.145 % for 2014. United States US: Secondary Education: Pupils: % Female data is updated yearly, averaging 48.936 % from Dec 1972 (Median) to 2015, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 49.713 % in 1998 and a record low of 34.965 % in 1972. United States US: Secondary Education: Pupils: % Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. Female pupils as a percentage of total pupils at secondary level includes enrollments in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Post-Secondary: Population 25+ Years: % Cumulative: Female data was reported at 13.732 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 7.572 % for 2014. Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Post-Secondary: Population 25+ Years: % Cumulative: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 10.652 % from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2021, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.732 % in 2021 and a record low of 7.572 % in 2014. Educational Attainment: At Least Completed Post-Secondary: Population 25+ Years: % Cumulative: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Comoros – Table KM.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed post-secondary non-tertiary education.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed April 5, 2025. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;;