The world goes to school

Overview

Updated May 22

In 1970, fewer than half the world's teenagers attended secondary school. By 2017, more than three-quarters did.

Primary enrollment hit 104 percent globally—meaning virtually every child of primary age was in school, plus millions of older students catching up. College attendance nearly quadrupled, from 10 percent to 37 percent. This expansion is one of the largest coordinated human capital investments in history, driven by international frameworks from Jomtien to Dakar to Incheon.

Literacy worldwide rose from 63 percent to 86 percent. But a parallel crisis emerged: hundreds of millions of enrolled students cannot read a simple sentence. The question shifted from whether children attend school to whether they learn anything there.

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Key Indicators

104%

Primary Gross Enrollment

Up from 89% in 1970. Exceeds 100% because older students are catching up.

77%

Secondary Enrollment

Nearly doubled from 41% in 1970.

37%

Tertiary Enrollment

Up from just 10% in 1970—a 3.7x increase.

617M

Students Not Learning

Children enrolled but not achieving minimum proficiency in reading or math.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Jim Yong Kim

World Bank President (2012-2019)

Former World Bank President; joined Global Infrastructure Partners in 2019

Irina Bokova

UNESCO Director-General (2009-2017)

Former UNESCO Director-General; first woman and first Eastern European to hold the position

Organizations Involved

World Bank Group

International financial institution

Primary compiler of global education statistics; major education funder

Tracks education data across 227 countries and serves as one of the largest external financiers of education in developing nations.

UNESCO

International organization

Lead coordinator of global Education for All initiatives

Mandated to coordinate international education efforts and monitor progress toward global education goals.

Timeline

June 1944 September 2017

8 events Latest: September 26th, 2017 · 9 years ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

September 2017
World Bank Reports Global Enrollment Gains
Latest Data

Primary enrollment reaches 104%, secondary 77%, tertiary 37%. Data shows 47 years of sustained expansion across all education levels.
September 26th, 2017
UNESCO Reports Learning Crisis
Report

617 million children enrolled but not achieving minimum proficiency. Signals pivot from enrollment quantity to learning quality.
September 26th, 2017
May 2015
Incheon Declaration Adopted
Framework

1,600 participants from 160 countries shift focus from access to quality. SDG 4 targets inclusive, equitable quality education.
May 21st, 2015
September 2000
Millennium Development Goals Launched
Framework

MDG 2 commits to universal primary education and MDG 3 to gender equality in education by 2015.
September 8th, 2000
April 2000
Dakar Framework Adopted
Framework

164 governments commit to six Education for All goals by 2015, including universal primary education and gender parity.
April 28th, 2000
March 1990
Education for All Launched at Jomtien
Framework

1,500 delegates from 155 countries adopt World Declaration on Education for All. Sets goal of universal primary education by 2000.
March 9th, 1990
January 1970
Baseline Year for Global Education Metrics
Data

World Bank begins systematic tracking. Global primary enrollment at 89%, secondary at 41%, tertiary at 10%. Adult literacy at roughly 63%.
January 1st, 1970
June 1944
GI Bill Signed into Law
Policy

U.S. Servicemen's Readjustment Act creates template for mass higher education expansion. By 1947, veterans are half of all U.S. college students.
June 22nd, 1944

Scenarios

Learning Crisis Dominates Next Decade of Education Policy

Likely

Discussed by: World Bank, UNESCO, education researchers at Brookings Institution

Focus shifts from enrollment targets to learning outcomes. Countries restructure curricula, teacher training, and assessment systems. Success measured by proficiency rates rather than enrollment percentages. This scenario treats the enrollment expansion as complete and pivots resources toward the harder problem of actual learning.

Enrollment Gains Stall or Reverse in Fragile States

Possible

Discussed by: UNICEF, UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Conflict, climate displacement, and economic shocks push millions of children out of school in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The 258 million out-of-school figure grows rather than shrinks. International frameworks prove insufficient to address structural barriers in the hardest-to-reach populations.

Technology Leapfrogs Traditional Schooling

Uncertain

Discussed by: EdTech investors, development economists

Digital education platforms enable mass learning outside traditional school systems. Developing countries bypass brick-and-mortar expansion by delivering instruction through mobile devices. Learning outcomes improve even where formal enrollment remains low. This would fundamentally redefine what education expansion means.

Quality Gap Creates Two-Tier Global Workforce

Possible

Discussed by: World Bank human capital economists, ILO

High enrollment with low learning produces graduates who cannot compete in knowledge economies. Countries that expanded access without quality see diminishing returns on education investment. A credentialing crisis emerges as degrees fail to signal actual competence.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

June 1944 - 1956

The GI Bill and American Higher Education (1944)

The Servicemen's Readjustment Act offered tuition, living expenses, and low-cost loans to 16 million returning WWII veterans. By 1947, veterans comprised half of all U.S. college students. Universities housed overflow students in Quonset huts as Indiana University ballooned from 3,000 to 10,000 students in two years.

Then

College enrollment exploded. The bill funded the education of 22,000 dentists, 67,000 doctors, 91,000 scientists, and 450,000 engineers.

Now

Established mass higher education as an American norm. Created template—government-funded human capital investment—that influenced global education frameworks decades later.

Why this matters now

The GI Bill demonstrated that rapid, large-scale education expansion was possible with sufficient political will and funding. Its economic returns (estimated at $7 for every $1 spent) became a reference point for development economists arguing for global education investment.

1945-1975

Post-WWII European Higher Education Expansion (1945-1975)

European countries emerged from WWII with university enrollment at 3-5% of age cohorts. Sweden's university population quintupled from 14,000 in 1947 to 70,000 by 1965. France doubled enrollment from 200,000 to 400,000 between 1960 and 1965, then doubled again by the mid-1970s.

Then

Massive infrastructure buildout and faculty hiring across European universities.

Now

Transformed higher education from elite privilege to mass expectation in developed democracies. Created the model of public university systems serving broad populations.

Why this matters now

The European expansion showed that rapid enrollment growth was a common post-war pattern, not unique to America. The global South's 1970-2017 expansion represents this pattern spreading worldwide, decades later.

1954-1990

South Korea's Education-Driven Development (1954-1990)

After the Korean War left it among the world's poorest countries, South Korea prioritized universal education. Literacy rose from 22% in 1945 to over 70% by the late 1950s. The government expanded secondary and vocational education to support industrialization, achieving near-universal primary enrollment by the 1960s.

Then

Created skilled workforce that enabled export-oriented manufacturing boom.

Now

South Korea reached 98% literacy and high-income status. Became the model case that World Bank President Kim cited when advocating for education investment.

Why this matters now

South Korea's transformation from aid recipient to OECD member demonstrated that education investment could drive development. The 47-year global enrollment expansion tracked in 2017 data represents other countries attempting to replicate this model.