Even 95% secondary school completion may take until 2105 worldwide, warns UNESCO

The world has made decades of progress in getting children through school. Yet, if current trends continue, it could take until 2105 for 95% of young people to complete upper-secondary education, according to UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report 2026.

That is a sobering projection for a world that has repeatedly committed to making education accessible to all.

UNESCO’s data show that global primary completion rose from 77% in 2000 to 88% in 2024. Over the same period, lower-secondary completion increased from 60% to 78%, while upper-secondary completion climbed from just 37% to 61%.

The gains are substantial, but the figures also reveal where the biggest challenge remains. Nearly four in 10 young people worldwide still do not complete upper-secondary education.

At the current pace, the target remains far beyond the



horizon for today’s school-age children. The report’s projection suggests that improving access alone will not be enough. Education systems must also ensure that students stay in school and complete each stage.

The report highlights the difference between completing school on time and completing it eventually. Late entry and grade repetition can delay students’ progress, meaning some finish several years after the expected age.

Globally, the gap between timely and eventual lower-secondary completion stands at four percentage points. In low-income countries, it widens to nine percentage points.

There has been progress on repetition. Since 2000, grade repetition has fallen by 62% in primary education and 38% in lower-secondary education. But the broader completion figures show that gains in schooling have not yet translated into near-universal completion.