Are people getting more schooling?
As of 2023, years of schooling (adults) is 8.8 years: +2.9 years since 1990.
Why it changed
Two things are true at once: the spread of compulsory public schooling and better-educated younger cohorts replacing older ones lifted the world average from 5.9 years in 1990 to 8.8. And that is still short of a completed secondary education, and in the poorest regions adults average only about 6 years.
Source · Our World in Data (UNDP, HDR 2025) CC-BY 4.0 (Our World in Data) Last reviewed 2026-06-30
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What is the source for this number?
Our World in Data (UNDP, HDR 2025). Last reviewed 2026-06-30 — CC-BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
How has this changed since 1990?
+2.9 years since 1990. As of 2023, years of schooling (adults) stands at 8.8 years.
What still isn’t solved?
That is still short of a completed secondary education, and in the poorest regions adults average only about 6 years.