People across developing regions are spending far more time in school than 20 years ago

In 2000, adults in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa had, on average, fewer than five years of schooling. That’s not enough to complete primary education.

But, as the chart shows, a lot of progress has been made since then. Adults older than 25 have gained more than two additional years of schooling, a 50% increase since 2000.

Latin American and East Asian countries have also made substantial gains, starting from a higher baseline.

This data is about adults. Children today can expect many more years of schooling, showing just how much progress has been made.

Of course, simply being in school isn’t enough; kids also need to learn while they’re there. And while more years of schooling generally mean more learning opportunities, it’s important to remember that millions of children in these regions still aren’t in school at all.

Discover more insights on access to basic education →

Where this page came from

This page was imported from Our World in Data. “People across developing regions are spending far more time in school than 20 years ago” by Simon van Teutem, published by Our World in Data under CC BY 4.0. Changed here: set as a page, its interactive charts shown as pictures. Data from third parties keeps its own licence.

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