Global education data dashboard
Global Education Statistics by Country 2026: Data, Charts & Rankings
Country-level education rankings use the latest UNDP Human Development Report education inputs: expected years of schooling and mean years of schooling. The 2026 page year is separate from the source reference year; the latest country values in this dataset are for 2023.
Education Statistics Snapshot
Visible values are drawn from the UNDP time-series dataset and the 2025 statistical annex. The education component index is a page-level calculation from official UNDP schooling inputs.
Country coverage
193
Countries and territories with 2023 HDI rank and schooling inputs.
World education component
0.655
Calculated from world aggregate expected and mean schooling years.
World expected schooling
13.04 years
Expected years of schooling, 2023 world aggregate.
World mean schooling
8.78 years
Mean years of schooling for adults age 25 and older.
Median country index
0.713
Median across the 193 ranked countries and territories.
World change since 1990
+0.201
Change in the calculated world education component index.
Education Component Ranking: Top 20 Countries
The chart ranks countries by a calculated education component index using 2023 expected years and mean years of schooling.
Highest Calculated Education Component Index, 2023
Index range: 0 to 1. Expected years are capped at 18 and mean years at 15 for the calculation.
Iceland leads the calculated ranking at 0.964, followed by Germany at 0.957 and the United Kingdom at 0.944. The full 193-country ranking is in the searchable table.
Chart analysis
- Iceland ranks first in the calculated 2023 education component index at 0.964.
- The top 20 cut-off is 0.896, reported by Estonia.
- Several top countries report expected years above 18; the calculation caps this input at 18 to match the UNDP HDI education dimension maximum.
- The chart is a visual summary only; the country table carries the complete source coverage.
Full Country Education Indicator Matrix
Rank is based on the calculated 2023 education component index. Source values are expected years of schooling and mean years of schooling from UNDP HDR data.
| Rank | Country | Code | Region | HDI group | Education index | Expected years | Mean years | Change since 2000 | HDI rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland | ISL | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.964 | 18.85 | 13.91 | +0.100 | 1 | 2023 |
| 2 | Germany | DEU | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.957 | 17.31 | 14.30 | +0.094 | 5 | 2023 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | GBR | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.944 | 17.81 | 13.49 | +0.143 | 13 | 2023 |
| 4 | Norway | NOR | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.937 | 18.79 | 13.12 | +0.050 | 2 | 2023 |
| 5 | Denmark | DNK | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.934 | 18.70 | 13.03 | +0.068 | 4 | 2023 |
| 6 | Finland | FIN | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.933 | 19.49 | 12.98 | +0.061 | 12 | 2023 |
| 7 | New Zealand | NZL | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.929 | 19.30 | 12.88 | +0.005 | 17 | 2023 |
| 8 | Australia | AUS | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.929 | 20.65 | 12.87 | +0.053 | 7 | 2023 |
| 9 | Switzerland | CHE | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.928 | 16.67 | 13.95 | +0.156 | 2 | 2023 |
| 10 | Sweden | SWE | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.925 | 18.99 | 12.74 | +0.043 | 5 | 2023 |
| 11 | Belgium | BEL | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.923 | 19.00 | 12.69 | +0.078 | 10 | 2023 |
| 12 | Netherlands | NLD | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.922 | 18.58 | 12.67 | +0.070 | 8 | 2023 |
| 13 | Slovenia | SVN | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.917 | 17.48 | 12.95 | +0.151 | 21 | 2023 |
| 14 | Lithuania | LTU | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.911 | 16.45 | 13.61 | +0.143 | 39 | 2023 |
| 15 | United States | USA | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.906 | 15.92 | 13.91 | +0.046 | 17 | 2023 |
| 16 | Latvia | LVA | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.905 | 16.48 | 13.41 | +0.128 | 41 | 2023 |
| 17 | Canada | CAN | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.904 | 15.89 | 13.87 | +0.050 | 16 | 2023 |
| 18 | Poland | POL | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.904 | 16.68 | 13.21 | +0.115 | 35 | 2023 |
| 19 | Czechia | CZE | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.899 | 16.79 | 12.96 | +0.143 | 29 | 2023 |
| 20 | Estonia | EST | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.896 | 15.97 | 13.56 | +0.068 | 36 | 2023 |
| 21 | Ireland | IRL | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.891 | 19.18 | 11.72 | +0.075 | 11 | 2023 |
| 22 | Georgia | GEO | Europe and Central Asia | Very High | 0.889 | 16.75 | 12.70 | +0.145 | 57 | 2023 |
| 23 | Korea (Republic of) | KOR | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.886 | 16.62 | 12.72 | +0.100 | 20 | 2023 |
| 24 | Greece | GRC | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.885 | 20.85 | 11.55 | +0.163 | 34 | 2023 |
| 25 | Hong Kong, China (SAR) | HKG | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.881 | 16.90 | 12.35 | +0.191 | 8 | 2023 |
| 26 | Seychelles | SYC | Sub-Saharan Africa | Very High | 0.873 | 18.22 | 11.20 | not reported | 54 | 2023 |
| 27 | Argentina | ARG | Latin America and the Caribbean | Very High | 0.873 | 18.83 | 11.18 | +0.144 | 47 | 2023 |
| 28 | Cyprus | CYP | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.869 | 16.22 | 12.56 | +0.194 | 32 | 2023 |
| 29 | United Arab Emirates | ARE | Arab States | Very High | 0.866 | 15.60 | 12.99 | +0.297 | 15 | 2023 |
| 30 | Israel | ISR | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.866 | 14.93 | 13.53 | +0.115 | 27 | 2023 |
| 31 | Singapore | SGP | East Asia and the Pacific | Very High | 0.865 | 16.74 | 11.99 | +0.082 | 13 | 2023 |
| 32 | Austria | AUT | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.864 | 16.28 | 12.36 | +0.071 | 22 | 2023 |
| 33 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | KNA | Latin America and the Caribbean | Very High | 0.862 | 18.41 | 10.85 | not reported | 58 | 2023 |
| 34 | Tonga | TON | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.858 | 17.79 | 10.91 | +0.161 | 92 | 2023 |
| 35 | Saudi Arabia | SAU | Arab States | Very High | 0.858 | 16.95 | 11.61 | +0.314 | 37 | 2023 |
| 36 | Montenegro | MNE | Europe and Central Asia | Very High | 0.857 | 15.54 | 12.77 | not reported | 48 | 2023 |
| 37 | Croatia | HRV | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.857 | 16.35 | 12.10 | +0.180 | 41 | 2023 |
| 38 | Malta | MLT | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.856 | 15.91 | 12.42 | +0.217 | 24 | 2023 |
| 39 | Spain | ESP | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.854 | 17.83 | 10.76 | +0.151 | 28 | 2023 |
| 40 | Japan | JPN | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.854 | 15.51 | 12.68 | +0.035 | 23 | 2023 |
| 41 | Slovakia | SVK | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.852 | 14.95 | 13.10 | +0.146 | 44 | 2023 |
| 42 | Chile | CHL | Latin America and the Caribbean | Very High | 0.846 | 16.91 | 11.29 | +0.176 | 45 | 2023 |
| 43 | Marshall Islands | MHL | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.843 | 16.39 | 11.64 | not reported | 108 | 2023 |
| 44 | Liechtenstein | LIE | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.842 | 15.41 | 12.41 | +0.079 | 17 | 2023 |
| 45 | Hungary | HUN | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.841 | 15.47 | 12.33 | +0.103 | 46 | 2023 |
| 46 | France | FRA | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.839 | 16.10 | 11.77 | +0.109 | 26 | 2023 |
| 47 | Uruguay | URY | Latin America and the Caribbean | Very High | 0.837 | 17.48 | 10.54 | +0.166 | 48 | 2023 |
| 48 | Palau | PLW | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.834 | 14.07 | 13.30 | +0.051 | 84 | 2023 |
| 49 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | VCT | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.828 | 16.25 | 11.30 | +0.179 | 76 | 2023 |
| 50 | Italy | ITA | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.825 | 16.71 | 10.83 | +0.114 | 29 | 2023 |
| 51 | Antigua and Barbuda | ATG | Latin America and the Caribbean | Very High | 0.819 | 15.50 | 11.65 | not reported | 53 | 2023 |
| 52 | Luxembourg | LUX | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.818 | 14.36 | 12.59 | +0.094 | 25 | 2023 |
| 53 | Bahrain | BHR | Arab States | Very High | 0.813 | 15.93 | 11.13 | +0.223 | 38 | 2023 |
| 54 | Portugal | PRT | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.809 | 17.49 | 9.70 | +0.147 | 40 | 2023 |
| 55 | Kazakhstan | KAZ | Europe and Central Asia | Very High | 0.807 | 14.01 | 12.55 | +0.141 | 60 | 2023 |
| 56 | Bulgaria | BGR | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.807 | 15.32 | 11.45 | +0.127 | 55 | 2023 |
| 57 | Serbia | SRB | Europe and Central Asia | Very High | 0.806 | 15.04 | 11.64 | +0.192 | 62 | 2023 |
| 58 | Moldova (Republic of) | MDA | Europe and Central Asia | High | 0.801 | 14.64 | 11.83 | not reported | 86 | 2023 |
| 59 | Türkiye | TUR | Europe and Central Asia | Very High | 0.800 | 19.83 | 8.99 | +0.309 | 51 | 2023 |
| 60 | Barbados | BRB | Latin America and the Caribbean | Very High | 0.793 | 16.63 | 9.93 | +0.097 | 69 | 2023 |
| 61 | Belarus | BLR | Europe and Central Asia | Very High | 0.792 | 13.72 | 12.34 | +0.078 | 65 | 2023 |
| 62 | Andorra | AND | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.791 | 14.54 | 11.61 | +0.171 | 32 | 2023 |
| 63 | San Marino | SMR | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.784 | 14.60 | 11.36 | +0.050 | 29 | 2023 |
| 64 | Russian Federation | RUS | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.780 | 13.19 | 12.41 | +0.023 | 64 | 2023 |
| 65 | Armenia | ARM | Europe and Central Asia | Very High | 0.778 | 14.38 | 11.34 | +0.130 | 69 | 2023 |
| 66 | Grenada | GRD | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.775 | 16.58 | 9.45 | not reported | 80 | 2023 |
| 67 | Romania | ROU | Not classified in UNDP developing region | Very High | 0.775 | 14.05 | 11.55 | +0.120 | 55 | 2023 |
| 68 | South Africa | ZAF | Sub-Saharan Africa | High | 0.770 | 13.79 | 11.61 | +0.190 | 106 | 2023 |
| 69 | Oman | OMN | Arab States | Very High | 0.770 | 13.44 | 11.89 | +0.298 | 50 | 2023 |
| 70 | Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | BOL | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.768 | 15.61 | 10.02 | +0.142 | 108 | 2023 |
| 71 | Bahamas | BHS | Latin America and the Caribbean | Very High | 0.757 | 11.89 | 12.81 | +0.071 | 66 | 2023 |
| 72 | Kyrgyzstan | KGZ | Europe and Central Asia | High | 0.755 | 12.71 | 12.07 | +0.093 | 117 | 2023 |
| 73 | Trinidad and Tobago | TTO | Latin America and the Caribbean | Very High | 0.755 | 14.24 | 10.79 | +0.141 | 72 | 2023 |
| 74 | Peru | PER | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.753 | 14.91 | 10.15 | +0.118 | 79 | 2023 |
| 75 | North Macedonia | MKD | Europe and Central Asia | Very High | 0.752 | 14.78 | 10.23 | +0.199 | 68 | 2023 |
| 76 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | IRN | South Asia | High | 0.750 | 13.97 | 10.85 | +0.140 | 75 | 2023 |
| 77 | Costa Rica | CRI | Latin America and the Caribbean | Very High | 0.749 | 16.35 | 8.84 | +0.179 | 62 | 2023 |
| 78 | Uzbekistan | UZB | Europe and Central Asia | High | 0.743 | 12.46 | 11.91 | +0.114 | 107 | 2023 |
| 79 | Albania | ALB | Europe and Central Asia | Very High | 0.742 | 14.51 | 10.18 | +0.150 | 71 | 2023 |
| 80 | Turkmenistan | TKM | Europe and Central Asia | High | 0.741 | 13.24 | 11.21 | not reported | 95 | 2023 |
| 81 | Ukraine | UKR | Europe and Central Asia | High | 0.741 | 13.33 | 11.12 | +0.024 | 87 | 2023 |
| 82 | Cuba | CUB | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.740 | 13.88 | 10.63 | +0.061 | 97 | 2023 |
| 83 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | BIH | Europe and Central Asia | Very High | 0.731 | 13.16 | 10.97 | +0.198 | 74 | 2023 |
| 84 | Panama | PAN | Latin America and the Caribbean | Very High | 0.731 | 13.31 | 10.83 | +0.126 | 59 | 2023 |
| 85 | Dominica | DMA | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.731 | 14.15 | 10.13 | +0.062 | 98 | 2023 |
| 86 | Fiji | FJI | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.730 | 13.85 | 10.37 | +0.119 | 111 | 2023 |
| 87 | Mauritius | MUS | Sub-Saharan Africa | Very High | 0.730 | 14.16 | 10.10 | +0.189 | 73 | 2023 |
| 88 | Viet Nam | VNM | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.729 | 15.46 | 8.98 | +0.247 | 93 | 2023 |
| 89 | Thailand | THA | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.728 | 15.36 | 9.04 | +0.225 | 76 | 2023 |
| 90 | Azerbaijan | AZE | Europe and Central Asia | High | 0.728 | 12.91 | 11.07 | +0.065 | 81 | 2023 |
| 91 | Qatar | QAT | Arab States | Very High | 0.724 | 13.14 | 10.77 | +0.132 | 43 | 2023 |
| 92 | Sri Lanka | LKA | South Asia | High | 0.724 | 13.13 | 10.77 | +0.028 | 89 | 2023 |
| 93 | Samoa | WSM | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.723 | 12.44 | 11.33 | +0.039 | 122 | 2023 |
| 94 | Malaysia | MYS | East Asia and the Pacific | Very High | 0.722 | 12.68 | 11.09 | +0.097 | 67 | 2023 |
| 95 | Brazil | BRA | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.720 | 15.79 | 8.43 | +0.138 | 84 | 2023 |
| 96 | Mexico | MEX | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.714 | 14.47 | 9.35 | +0.159 | 81 | 2023 |
| 97 | Eswatini (Kingdom of) | SWZ | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.713 | 15.25 | 8.69 | +0.261 | 126 | 2023 |
| 98 | Ecuador | ECU | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.712 | 14.85 | 8.97 | +0.115 | 88 | 2023 |
| 99 | Jordan | JOR | Arab States | High | 0.705 | 13.11 | 10.24 | +0.132 | 100 | 2023 |
| 100 | Tuvalu | TUV | East Asia and the Pacific | Medium | 0.703 | 12.38 | 10.77 | +0.133 | 129 | 2023 |
| 101 | Egypt | EGY | Arab States | High | 0.703 | 13.13 | 10.14 | +0.191 | 100 | 2023 |
| 102 | Palestine, State of | PSE | Arab States | Medium | 0.699 | 13.00 | 10.13 | not reported | 133 | 2023 |
| 103 | Colombia | COL | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.698 | 14.29 | 9.03 | +0.132 | 83 | 2023 |
| 104 | China | CHN | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.698 | 15.48 | 8.04 | +0.219 | 78 | 2023 |
| 105 | Kuwait | KWT | Arab States | Very High | 0.694 | 15.90 | 7.57 | +0.146 | 52 | 2023 |
| 106 | Dominican Republic | DOM | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.693 | 13.62 | 9.44 | +0.168 | 89 | 2023 |
| 107 | Mongolia | MNG | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.693 | 13.64 | 9.42 | +0.137 | 104 | 2023 |
| 108 | Brunei Darussalam | BRN | East Asia and the Pacific | Very High | 0.690 | 13.70 | 9.28 | +0.093 | 60 | 2023 |
| 109 | Philippines | PHL | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.689 | 12.82 | 9.98 | +0.116 | 117 | 2023 |
| 110 | Paraguay | PRY | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.686 | 13.99 | 8.93 | +0.122 | 99 | 2023 |
| 111 | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | VEN | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.683 | 12.97 | 9.68 | +0.132 | 121 | 2023 |
| 112 | Algeria | DZA | Arab States | High | 0.678 | 15.50 | 7.42 | +0.179 | 96 | 2023 |
| 113 | Tajikistan | TJK | Europe and Central Asia | Medium | 0.677 | 10.85 | 11.27 | +0.050 | 128 | 2023 |
| 114 | Jamaica | JAM | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.676 | 12.38 | 9.96 | +0.145 | 117 | 2023 |
| 115 | Nauru | NRU | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.672 | 12.84 | 9.45 | +0.154 | 124 | 2023 |
| 116 | Lebanon | LBN | Arab States | High | 0.670 | 11.68 | 10.37 | not reported | 102 | 2023 |
| 117 | Gabon | GAB | Sub-Saharan Africa | High | 0.670 | 12.48 | 9.69 | +0.145 | 108 | 2023 |
| 118 | Botswana | BWA | Sub-Saharan Africa | High | 0.667 | 11.43 | 10.48 | +0.087 | 111 | 2023 |
| 119 | Tunisia | TUN | Arab States | High | 0.661 | 14.67 | 7.59 | +0.148 | 105 | 2023 |
| 120 | Indonesia | IDN | East Asia and the Pacific | High | 0.660 | 13.34 | 8.70 | +0.163 | 113 | 2023 |
| 121 | Guyana | GUY | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.652 | 13.02 | 8.70 | +0.168 | 89 | 2023 |
| 122 | Nicaragua | NIC | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.651 | 11.51 | 9.93 | +0.144 | 123 | 2023 |
| 123 | Saint Lucia | LCA | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.641 | 12.73 | 8.61 | +0.051 | 103 | 2023 |
| 124 | Kiribati | KIR | East Asia and the Pacific | Medium | 0.634 | 11.87 | 9.13 | not reported | 140 | 2023 |
| 125 | Congo | COG | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.630 | 12.68 | 8.32 | +0.133 | 138 | 2023 |
| 126 | Morocco | MAR | Arab States | High | 0.625 | 15.07 | 6.20 | +0.279 | 120 | 2023 |
| 127 | Belize | BLZ | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.625 | 11.98 | 8.76 | +0.056 | 115 | 2023 |
| 128 | Equatorial Guinea | GNQ | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.623 | 12.49 | 8.28 | +0.241 | 133 | 2023 |
| 129 | Libya | LBY | Arab States | High | 0.618 | 12.92 | 7.78 | -0.011 | 115 | 2023 |
| 130 | Kenya | KEN | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.606 | 11.47 | 8.62 | +0.192 | 143 | 2023 |
| 131 | Zimbabwe | ZWE | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.605 | 11.06 | 8.93 | +0.097 | 153 | 2023 |
| 132 | Maldives | MDV | South Asia | High | 0.602 | 12.77 | 7.41 | +0.153 | 93 | 2023 |
| 133 | India | IND | South Asia | Medium | 0.589 | 12.95 | 6.88 | +0.220 | 130 | 2023 |
| 134 | Suriname | SUR | Latin America and the Caribbean | High | 0.585 | 10.96 | 8.43 | not reported | 114 | 2023 |
| 135 | Timor-Leste | TLS | East Asia and the Pacific | Medium | 0.576 | 13.25 | 6.23 | +0.181 | 142 | 2023 |
| 136 | Namibia | NAM | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.570 | 11.79 | 7.27 | +0.043 | 136 | 2023 |
| 137 | Comoros | COM | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.570 | 13.29 | 6.01 | +0.252 | 152 | 2023 |
| 138 | Iraq | IRQ | Arab States | Medium | 0.569 | 12.36 | 6.78 | +0.151 | 126 | 2023 |
| 139 | Bangladesh | BGD | South Asia | Medium | 0.568 | 12.31 | 6.79 | +0.215 | 130 | 2023 |
| 140 | Vanuatu | VUT | East Asia and the Pacific | Medium | 0.568 | 11.81 | 7.18 | not reported | 146 | 2023 |
| 141 | Micronesia (Federated States of) | FSM | East Asia and the Pacific | Medium | 0.565 | 11.54 | 7.33 | +0.009 | 149 | 2023 |
| 142 | Lesotho | LSO | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.563 | 10.99 | 7.73 | +0.127 | 167 | 2023 |
| 143 | Bhutan | BTN | South Asia | Medium | 0.560 | 13.15 | 5.84 | not reported | 125 | 2023 |
| 144 | Togo | TGO | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.559 | 13.10 | 5.86 | +0.193 | 161 | 2023 |
| 145 | Sao Tome and Principe | STP | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.557 | 12.86 | 5.99 | not reported | 141 | 2023 |
| 146 | Ghana | GHA | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.554 | 11.42 | 7.11 | +0.181 | 143 | 2023 |
| 147 | Zambia | ZMB | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.553 | 11.02 | 7.40 | +0.135 | 154 | 2023 |
| 148 | El Salvador | SLV | Latin America and the Caribbean | Medium | 0.552 | 11.11 | 7.30 | +0.083 | 132 | 2023 |
| 149 | Congo (Democratic Republic of the) | COD | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.549 | 10.91 | 7.38 | +0.185 | 171 | 2023 |
| 150 | Nigeria | NGA | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.545 | 10.51 | 7.59 | +0.171 | 164 | 2023 |
| 151 | Angola | AGO | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.537 | 12.17 | 5.96 | +0.288 | 148 | 2023 |
| 152 | Honduras | HND | Latin America and the Caribbean | Medium | 0.533 | 10.16 | 7.51 | +0.125 | 139 | 2023 |
| 153 | Myanmar | MMR | East Asia and the Pacific | Medium | 0.532 | 11.50 | 6.38 | +0.218 | 150 | 2023 |
| 154 | Nepal | NPL | South Asia | Medium | 0.532 | 13.75 | 4.50 | +0.197 | 145 | 2023 |
| 155 | Uganda | UGA | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.532 | 11.56 | 6.32 | +0.167 | 157 | 2023 |
| 156 | Cameroon | CMR | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.519 | 10.79 | 6.57 | +0.214 | 155 | 2023 |
| 157 | Cabo Verde | CPV | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.519 | 11.37 | 6.09 | +0.039 | 135 | 2023 |
| 158 | Rwanda | RWA | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.512 | 12.59 | 4.88 | +0.251 | 159 | 2023 |
| 159 | Solomon Islands | SLB | East Asia and the Pacific | Medium | 0.510 | 11.31 | 5.88 | +0.035 | 156 | 2023 |
| 160 | Liberia | LBR | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.496 | 10.47 | 6.17 | +0.089 | 177 | 2023 |
| 161 | Guatemala | GTM | Latin America and the Caribbean | Medium | 0.492 | 10.68 | 5.85 | +0.127 | 137 | 2023 |
| 162 | Papua New Guinea | PNG | East Asia and the Pacific | Medium | 0.485 | 11.51 | 4.96 | +0.202 | 160 | 2023 |
| 163 | Cambodia | KHM | East Asia and the Pacific | Medium | 0.484 | 11.20 | 5.20 | +0.151 | 151 | 2023 |
| 164 | Haiti | HTI | Latin America and the Caribbean | Medium | 0.482 | 10.90 | 5.38 | +0.084 | 166 | 2023 |
| 165 | Côte d'Ivoire | CIV | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.479 | 11.41 | 4.87 | +0.194 | 157 | 2023 |
| 166 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | LAO | East Asia and the Pacific | Medium | 0.469 | 9.61 | 6.06 | +0.107 | 147 | 2023 |
| 167 | Mozambique | MOZ | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.454 | 10.85 | 4.59 | +0.229 | 182 | 2023 |
| 168 | Malawi | MWI | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.450 | 9.90 | 5.24 | +0.053 | 172 | 2023 |
| 169 | Tanzania (United Republic of) | TZA | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.441 | 8.59 | 6.07 | +0.124 | 165 | 2023 |
| 170 | Guinea-Bissau | GNB | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.418 | 10.64 | 3.67 | not reported | 174 | 2023 |
| 171 | Gambia | GMB | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.405 | 8.98 | 4.67 | +0.169 | 170 | 2023 |
| 172 | Madagascar | MDG | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.405 | 9.06 | 4.59 | +0.057 | 183 | 2023 |
| 173 | Syrian Arab Republic | SYR | Arab States | Medium | 0.404 | 7.42 | 5.94 | -0.020 | 162 | 2023 |
| 174 | Benin | BEN | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.397 | 10.45 | 3.19 | +0.139 | 173 | 2023 |
| 175 | Yemen | YEM | Arab States | Low | 0.391 | 7.49 | 5.48 | +0.146 | 184 | 2023 |
| 176 | Burundi | BDI | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.389 | 9.83 | 3.47 | +0.194 | 187 | 2023 |
| 177 | Afghanistan | AFG | South Asia | Low | 0.384 | 10.79 | 2.51 | +0.179 | 181 | 2023 |
| 178 | Mauritania | MRT | Sub-Saharan Africa | Medium | 0.383 | 7.95 | 4.85 | +0.107 | 163 | 2023 |
| 179 | Eritrea | ERI | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.374 | 7.34 | 5.09 | not reported | 178 | 2023 |
| 180 | Guinea | GIN | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.372 | 10.39 | 2.49 | +0.178 | 179 | 2023 |
| 181 | Sudan | SDN | Arab States | Low | 0.372 | 8.62 | 3.96 | +0.144 | 176 | 2023 |
| 182 | Sierra Leone | SLE | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.370 | 9.06 | 3.54 | +0.105 | 185 | 2023 |
| 183 | Pakistan | PAK | South Asia | Low | 0.363 | 7.90 | 4.32 | +0.123 | 168 | 2023 |
| 184 | Senegal | SEN | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.352 | 9.14 | 2.93 | +0.142 | 169 | 2023 |
| 185 | South Sudan | SSD | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.348 | 5.63 | 5.73 | not reported | 193 | 2023 |
| 186 | Central African Republic | CAF | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.340 | 7.44 | 3.99 | +0.117 | 191 | 2023 |
| 187 | Ethiopia | ETH | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.336 | 9.22 | 2.40 | +0.170 | 180 | 2023 |
| 188 | Burkina Faso | BFA | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.318 | 8.73 | 2.27 | not reported | 186 | 2023 |
| 189 | Chad | TCD | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.310 | 8.35 | 2.33 | +0.131 | 190 | 2023 |
| 190 | Djibouti | DJI | Arab States | Low | 0.304 | 6.21 | 3.95 | +0.161 | 175 | 2023 |
| 191 | Niger | NER | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.278 | 8.31 | 1.41 | +0.164 | 188 | 2023 |
| 192 | Somalia | SOM | Arab States | Low | 0.271 | 7.49 | 1.90 | not reported | 192 | 2023 |
| 193 | Mali | MLI | Sub-Saharan Africa | Low | 0.249 | 7.01 | 1.63 | +0.089 | 188 | 2023 |
Table analysis
- The table contains 193 countries and territories with 2023 UNDP HDI rank and schooling inputs.
- Iceland has the highest calculated education component index at 0.964.
- Mali has the lowest calculated index among ranked countries at 0.249.
- The top-to-lowest spread is 0.715 index points.
- Saudi Arabia shows the largest reported 2000-2023 increase among rows with both anchor years, at +0.314.
- Syrian Arab Republic records the smallest reported 2000-2023 movement among rows with both anchor years, at -0.020.
- Countries marked as not classified in the UNDP developing-region field are mainly outside the six developing-region aggregate categories used in the HDR dataset.
- Values marked not reported in the change column reflect missing 2000 input values in the selected UNDP series, not a zero change.
Long-Run Education Indicator Trend
The trend module uses official UNDP aggregate rows for world, HDI groups, and developing regions. Anchor years are 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, and 2023.
World Education Component Trend, 1990-2023
Calculated from world aggregate expected years and mean years of schooling.
The world aggregate education component moved from 0.454 in 1990 to 0.655 in 2023. Both expected schooling and mean schooling increased on the normalized scale.
Trend analysis
- The world aggregate calculated education component increased by +0.201 from 1990 to 2023.
- World expected years of schooling rose from 9.32 years in 1990 to 13.04 years in 2023.
- World mean years of schooling rose from 5.85 years in 1990 to 8.78 years in 2023.
- The 2020 and 2023 anchor values show limited movement at the world aggregate level compared with the 1990-2010 interval.
| Group or region | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | 2023 | Change 1990-2023 | Expected years 2023 | Mean years 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World | 0.454 | 0.515 | 0.592 | 0.646 | 0.655 | +0.201 | 13.04 | 8.78 |
| Very high human development | 0.698 | 0.767 | 0.827 | 0.869 | 0.872 | +0.175 | 16.38 | 12.53 |
| High human development | 0.422 | 0.517 | 0.614 | 0.686 | 0.695 | +0.273 | 14.61 | 8.69 |
| Medium human development | 0.307 | 0.366 | 0.464 | 0.541 | 0.564 | +0.257 | 12.10 | 6.84 |
| Low human development | 0.183 | 0.242 | 0.332 | 0.382 | 0.383 | +0.200 | 8.95 | 4.03 |
| Arab States | 0.356 | 0.439 | 0.521 | 0.599 | 0.601 | +0.245 | 11.97 | 8.07 |
| East Asia and the Pacific | 0.383 | 0.484 | 0.592 | 0.671 | 0.681 | +0.298 | 14.59 | 8.26 |
| Europe and Central Asia | 0.551 | 0.617 | 0.700 | 0.780 | 0.789 | +0.238 | 15.56 | 10.70 |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 0.515 | 0.580 | 0.655 | 0.709 | 0.715 | +0.200 | 14.77 | 9.13 |
| South Asia | 0.312 | 0.367 | 0.465 | 0.540 | 0.564 | +0.252 | 12.15 | 6.79 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 0.276 | 0.336 | 0.421 | 0.483 | 0.493 | +0.217 | 10.35 | 6.16 |
Trend table analysis
- Very high human development records the highest aggregate calculated index in 2023 at 0.872.
- Low human development records the lowest HDI-group aggregate in 2023 at 0.383.
- Europe and Central Asia has the highest developing-region aggregate in 2023 at 0.789.
- Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest developing-region aggregate in 2023 at 0.493.
- All listed aggregate rows increased between 1990 and 2023 in the calculated education component.
Region and Indicator Comparison
Regional bars compare the two schooling inputs directly. These are official UNDP aggregate values, not unweighted country averages.
Expected and Mean Schooling Years by UNDP Developing Region, 2023
Expected years describe schooling expected for a child of school-entering age; mean years describe completed schooling among adults age 25 and older.
Europe and Central Asia has the highest developing-region mean schooling value in 2023, while Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest regional mean schooling value in this aggregate set.
Regional analysis
- Europe and Central Asia reports 15.56 expected years and 10.70 mean years in 2023.
- Latin America and the Caribbean reports 14.77 expected years and 9.13 mean years in 2023.
- Sub-Saharan Africa reports 10.35 expected years and 6.16 mean years in 2023.
- Expected years are higher than mean years in every listed developing-region aggregate, reflecting different age groups and measurement concepts.
| Education index band | Countries | Highest in band | Median expected years | Median mean years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.850 and above | 41 | Iceland | 16.90 | 12.77 |
| 0.700-0.849 | 60 | Chile | 14.43 | 11.02 |
| 0.550-0.699 | 47 | Palestine, State of | 12.77 | 8.32 |
| 0.400-0.549 | 25 | Congo (Democratic Republic of the) | 10.85 | 5.88 |
| below 0.400 | 20 | Benin | 8.33 | 3.33 |
Distribution analysis
- The largest band is 0.700-0.849 by country count.
- The 0.850 and above band contains 41 countries and territories.
- The below 0.400 band contains 20 countries and territories.
- Median mean schooling rises across the index bands, while expected years and mean years remain different concepts.
Data Notes for Country Comparisons
The notes define what the ranking can support and where comparisons need caution.
Ranking basis
Rank uses a page-level education component index calculated from UNDP expected years and mean years of schooling. It is not a PISA, TIMSS, literacy, or spending ranking.
Source-year control
The table uses 2023 source values. The page year 2026 is an update label for the published data product, not a claim that 2026 country values exist.
Coverage control
Rows are limited to countries and territories with a 2023 HDI rank in the UNDP dataset. Aggregate rows are used only in the trend and region sections.
Metric limits
Schooling years describe quantity of schooling. They do not measure learning outcomes, classroom quality, teacher supply, or public spending.
Source and Methodology
Main source UNDP Human Development Reports, Human Development Index data center and 2025 HDR statistical annex.
Source values Expected years of schooling and mean years of schooling, latest country reference year 2023.
Coverage 193 countries and territories with a 2023 HDI rank in the UNDP dataset.
Education component calculation Page-level calculation: average of expected years divided by 18 and mean years divided by 15. Expected years above 18 are capped at 18.
Historical anchors 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, and 2023 from the UNDP composite indices time series.
Rounding Index values are rounded to three decimals. Schooling years are rounded to two decimals.
Missing values Missing 2000 inputs are shown as not reported in change calculations. Values are not interpolated.
The UNDP HDI methodology measures the education dimension with expected years of schooling for children entering school and mean years of schooling for adults age 25 and older. The index ranking in this data product applies the HDI education-dimension normalization limits to those two source inputs and does not combine unrelated indicators with different coverage systems.
Methodological Safety Note
The ranking is based only on reported schooling-years indicators and a transparent page-level education component calculation. It should not be read as a full education quality ranking, learning-outcome ranking, spending ranking, or causal explanation of national education performance.