OECD’s new Education at a Glance publication presents a broad insight into the state of education across the globe including data on the structure, resources and performance of education systems in the OECD countries and in a number of partner economies. The report provides key information such as the impact of learning across countries; access, participation and progression; the financial resources available; and the learning environment in educational institutions. The 2019 report has specific focus on tertiary education including new indicators on completion rates, doctoral graduates and their labour market outcomes, and on tertiary admission systems. It also includes a chapter devoted on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education.
It is reported that in 2018, 44% of 25-34 year olds hold a tertiary degree, compared to 35% reported in 2008. It is also reported that tertiary-educated adults are more resilient against long-term unemployment and, in 2018, the employment rate of tertiary-educated people was 9% higher than that of those with upper secondary education. Furthermore, tertiary education plays an important role in lifelong learning as, on average, more than three out of four 30-39 year-olds in education attend a tertiary programme.