ALESS open data portal

Background

Education systems vary significantly across countries in terms of structure, quality, access, and outcomes. Comparing education systems globally helps identify effective practices, understand disparities in educational opportunities, and track progress toward universal education goals. Key aspects of education systems include enrollment rates, literacy, student performance, educational spending, teacher quality, and equity in access to education.

International assessments and databases make it possible to compare educational outcomes across countries and over time. Research on education systems can inform policy decisions, reveal inequalities, and help understand the relationship between education and other social and economic factors.

Data Sources

Global Education Data

1. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) - Education Data

http://data.uis.unesco.org/

Comprehensive global education statistics
Indicators include:
- Enrollment rates (primary, secondary, tertiary)
- Literacy rates by age and gender
- Out-of-school children
- Educational attainment
- Gender parity in education
- Public spending on education
Data for most countries worldwide
Downloadable in Excel and CSV formats
Good for: International comparisons of enrollment, literacy, and access

2. OECD Education Statistics

https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/education-database.html

Education data for OECD and partner countries
Key resources:
- Education at a Glance (annual report)
- Education GPS (data explorer)
Topics: spending, teachers, graduation rates, tertiary education
Good for: Comparing developed countries' education systems

3. OECD PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)

https://www.oecd.org/en/about/programmes/pisa.html

Data: https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/pisa-2022-database.html
Assesses 15-year-olds' skills in reading, mathematics, and science
Conducted every 3 years (most recent: 2022)
Over 80 countries participate
Downloadable datasets with student, school, and parent data
Good for: Comparing student performance across countries

4. World Bank - Education Statistics

https://datatopics.worldbank.org/education/

Education indicators combined with economic data
Includes: enrollment, completion, learning outcomes, spending
Interactive data portal with downloadable datasets
Good for: Linking education with development indicators

5. Our World in Data - Education

https://ourworldindata.org/education

User-friendly education data with visualizations
Topics: literacy, school enrollment, education quality, spending
All data free to download
Good for: Understanding long-term trends and patterns

Japan-Specific Data

6. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) - Statistics

https://www.mext.go.jp/en/publication/statistics/index.htm

Official Japanese education statistics
Includes:
- School Basic Survey (annual)
- Number of schools, teachers, students
- Enrollment rates
- Educational expenses
Available in English (Statistical Abstract)
Good for: Studying education in Japan

7. Japan PISA Results

https://www.mext.go.jp/en/content/20240328-mxt_app_dev04-000034107_2.pdf

Japan's performance in PISA assessments
Detailed analysis of Japanese students' results
Comparisons with OECD average
Good for: Understanding Japan's education performance internationally

8. OECD Education GPS - Japan

https://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?primaryCountry=JPN

Japan-specific education indicators
Interactive comparison with other countries
Student performance, equity, resources
Good for: Comparing Japan with other OECD countries

Example Research Questions

To answer some of these questions, you might need to find other data to combine with education datasets (e.g., GDP per capita, government spending, income inequality, gender equality indicators, employment rates, technology access).

What is the relationship between educational spending and student performance across countries?

How do gender gaps in education vary between regions or income levels?

Is there a relationship between teacher-student ratios and educational outcomes?

How does access to pre-primary education relate to later academic achievement?

What factors are associated with higher literacy rates in developing countries?

How do education systems in high-performing countries compare to lower-performing ones?

Tips for Using Education Data

Getting Started:

Start with Our World in Data or World Bank for overview
Choose a specific aspect of education to focus on
Select 5-10 countries to compare
Use PISA data for student performance comparisons
UNESCO for global enrollment and literacy data

Understanding the Data:

Enrollment rate: Percentage of age group enrolled in school
Literacy rate: Percentage of population (usually 15+) who can read and write
Completion rate: Percentage completing a level of education
PISA scores: Scaled so OECD average = 500, standard deviation = 100
Pupil-teacher ratio: Number of students per teacher
Education spending: Often measured as % of GDP or per student

Making Comparisons:

Consider both enrollment and quality (test scores)
Look at gender parity indices (female/male ratios)
Compare countries at similar development levels
Account for differences in education systems and structures
Consider both inputs (spending, teachers) and outputs (learning outcomes)

Combining Datasets: Education research often requires combining multiple datasets. For example:

PISA scores + education spending + teacher salaries
Enrollment rates + GDP per capita + gender equality indices
Literacy rates + access to technology + employment rates
Student performance + socioeconomic status + school resources

For Your Analysis:

Use scatter plots to show relationships between variables
Compare trends over time (enrollment, performance)
Map educational indicators by country or region
Consider equity issues (gender, urban/rural, wealth)
Look at both average performance and distribution

Citation: Always cite your data sources:

Examples: "UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2024). Education Database. http://data.uis.unesco.org/ (accessed October 5, 2025)"

"OECD (2023). PISA 2022 Results. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/about/programmes/pisa.html"

Understanding PISA Data

What PISA Measures:

Reading, mathematics, and science literacy
Real-world problem-solving skills
15-year-old students (regardless of grade)

Key Features:

Comparable across 80+ countries
Conducted every 3 years
Includes student and school questionnaires
Scores scaled: OECD average = 500

Recent Findings (PISA 2022):

Global decline in scores (likely COVID-19 impact)
Japan maintains high performance in mathematics
Increasing focus on equity and well-being

Useful Additional Data Sources

When studying education systems, you might want to combine education data with:

Economic data: GDP, income levels, government spending (World Bank, OECD)
Social indicators: Gender equality, inequality indices (UN, World Bank)
Technology: Internet access, computer availability (ITU, World Bank)
Employment: Youth unemployment, labor market outcomes (ILO, OECD)
Health: Child nutrition, health indicators (WHO)

Questions? Need Help?

UNESCO has the most comprehensive global education data
PISA is best for comparing student performance
OECD data focuses on developed countries
Our World in Data is most user-friendly for beginners
Consider both quantity (enrollment) and quality (learning outcomes)
Japan consistently performs well in international assessments

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