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France
Overview of the education system (EAG 2024)
  • In France, the share of 25-34 year-olds without upper secondary educational attainment decreased from 13 % in 2016 to 11 % in 2023. The OECD average fell from 17 % to 14 % over the same period.
  • France is one of eight countries where the childcare gap is 2 years between the end of paid parental leave and the start of free compulsory education while the other 22 OECD countries present a gap of 3 years or more.
  • In France the start of compulsory education was extended by 3 years in September 2019. Compulsory education in France lasts from the age of 3 to 16 for a total of 13 years, which is above the OECD average of 11 years. Moreover, in September 2020 in France, training became mandatory for students aged between 16 and 18.
  • In 2021, the average annual expenditure per student from primary to tertiary education in France is USD 14 803. In France, spending per student is USD 10 554 in primary education, USD 15 112 in secondary education and USD 20 458 in tertiary education.
  • France was facing teacher shortages in secondary education in some subjects (mainly mathematics), but not in all subjects. However, in France, the recruitment of contract teachers in secondary education has been used to cover teaching posts not filled in the main competitive examinations in certain academies with a shortage of teachers.
  • Between 2015 and 2023, in nominal terms (that is, in current prices, not considering inflation), statutory salaries increased by 15% in France for lower secondary teachers with 15 years of experience. In real terms (i.e. adjusted for inflation), teachers' salaries remained stable over the eight-year period in France (+1%) compared to an average increase of 4% across countries with available data.
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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Attainment

    In France, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (24.8 %, rank 5/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The share of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in France is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (8.3 %, rank 36/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    In France, the average age of new entrants in short-cycle programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.4 Years, rank 32/33 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the average age of new entrants in doctoral programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (27.8 Years, rank 37/38 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the average age of new entrants in master's programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.2 Years, rank 36/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    In France, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of education is relatively small. (60.5 %, rank 31/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is relatively small. (39.1 %, rank 34/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France,the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively small. (61.4 %, rank 35/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (12.7 %, rank 37/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The enrolment rate of 6-14 year-olds in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/45 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in early childhood education in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of 30-39 year-olds in France is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.7 %, rank 43/43 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of 40-64 year-olds in France is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.4 %, rank 42/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 3-5 year-old children in early childhood and primary education in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of students aged 18 tertiary programmes in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (14.5 %, rank 3/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of students aged 19 tertiary programmes in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.1 %, rank 1/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    (44.1 %, rank 28/30 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The average age of post-secondary non-tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes in France is among the lowest. (25.3 %, rank 25/27 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of post-secondary non-tertiary students among all vocational students is relatively small compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.5 %, rank 24/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of vocational students as a share of short-cycle tertiary students is among the largest in all OECD and partner countries. (100 %, rank 1/34 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The average age of short-cycle tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes is comparativele low. (20.2 %, rank 36/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in short-cycle tertiary programmes in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.2 %, rank 2/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 20-24 in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes in France is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.2 %, rank 27/31 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 20-24 in bachelor's programmes in France is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (14.7 %, rank 40/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 20-24 in master's programmes in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.8 %, rank 2/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    (0.2 %, rank 5/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in pre-primary education in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/43 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in pre-primary in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/43 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of five-year-olds in ECEC in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of five-year-olds in pre-primary education in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of six-year-olds in primary education in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/45 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The average age of graduates from general programmes at the upper secondary level in France is comparatively low. (17.1 Years, rank 39/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.1 %, rank 42/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (12.7 %, rank 1/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of education in France is relatively small. (1 %, rank 40/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in France is relatively large. (33.2 %, rank 3/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of business, aministration and law is relatively low. (6.2 %, rank 22/25 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively low. (0.9 %, rank 23/25 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is relatively low. (4 %, rank 24/25 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (43.3 %, rank 4/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of STEM is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (29.3 %, rank 4/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (5.5 %, rank 42/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female doctoral graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively low. (26.5 %, rank 41/41 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female doctoral graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively high. (43.8 %, rank 4/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23 %, rank 1/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of education is relatively low in France. (2.2 %, rank 39/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively small. (42.9 %, rank 25/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.3 %, rank 23/27 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of services is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (25.5 %, rank 27/27 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the proportion of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes in the field health and welfare is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries. (89.9 %, rank 4/34 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (68.5 %, rank 4/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (42.6 %, rank 4/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In France, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of education is relatively low. (3.2 %, rank 39/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is relatively low. (3.1 %, rank 37/38 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of education among all national tertiary students in France is relatively low. (3.4 %, rank 36/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of information and communication technologies among all national tertiary students in France is relatively low. (3 %, rank 36/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of education is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (1.4 %, rank 34/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is relatively high. (30.5 %, rank 2/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of new entrants in education bachelor's programmes is comparatively smallest, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.2 %, rank 40/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the proportion of new entrants in Information and communication technologies bachelor's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.7 %, rank 38/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the proportion of new entrants in Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary bachelor's programmes is especially lowest, compared to the other countries with other data. (0.3 %, rank 38/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of new entrants in health and welfare master's programmes is relatively lowest, compared to other countries with available data. (8.5 %, rank 36/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    In France, international or foreign students from Africa are highest represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (52.5 %, rank 1/43 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of business, administration and law among all international or foreign tertiary students in France is relatively high. (31.8 %, rank 5/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics among all international or foreign tertiary students in France is relatively high. (13.4 %, rank 5/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of information and communication technologies among all international or foreign tertiary students in France is relatively low. (3 %, rank 36/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of students enrolled in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary among all international or foreign tertiary students is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.3 %, rank 36/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    Annual expenditure per pupil at the pre-primary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (11001 USD Equivalent, rank 9/13 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on upper secondary vocational education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20005 USD Equivalent, rank 5/28 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In France, expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (2.5 %, rank 1/34 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In France, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (0 %, rank 4/33 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Nature of expenditure

    In France, the share of current expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (89.9 %, rank 14/18 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of hours per year primary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively high in France. (900 Hours, rank 5/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The number of days of instruction in a school year in pre-primary public school is especially low. (162 Days, rank 29/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The number of days of instruction in a school year in primary public school is especially low. (162 Days, rank 35/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in pre-primary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (91.3 %, rank 39/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (42 %, rank 18/22 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of male teachers in pre-primary education is especially high in France. (8.7 %, rank 3/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of post secondary non-tertiary education teachers under 30 is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data (12.4 %, rank 2/19 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Migrant background

    The employment rate of foreign-born aged between 25 and 64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (65.3 %, rank 32/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of foreign-born aged between 25 and 64 who work full-time full-year with upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary education are low compared to those of native-born with the same characteristics. (87 Index, rank 25/26 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The number of pupils per teacher in pre-primary schools is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (21.9 Ratio, rank 5/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the vocational upper secondary level is especially low in France. (7.9 Ratio, rank 29/31 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    Classes in in private primary institutions are comparatively large in France. (25 Students, rank 4/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary private institutions are comparatively large in France. (27 Students, rank 3/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In independent private institutions at lower secondary level, classes are one of the smallest in France among OECD and partner countries with available data. (13 Students, rank 20/23 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men with upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (77.6 %, rank 41/45 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively low in France. (56.6 %, rank 41/45 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of employed 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (77.4 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (4.5 %, rank 4/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (3.1 %, rank 2/13 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively high in France. (5.5 %, rank 5/7 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high. (8.6 %, rank 5/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    In France, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a short cycle tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (7.5 %, rank 22/26 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In France, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (17.5 %, rank 3/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In France, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (17.2 %, rank 5/45 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings and educational attainment

    The gap in average earnings between 25-64 year-old women with a bachelor's or equivalent degree and those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (162 Index, rank 5/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Earnings, gender and educational attainment

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the low among countries with available data. (69.4 %, rank 39/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (90.4 %, rank 5/33 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds without an upper secondary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (68.2 %, rank 33/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (64.7 %, rank 27/27 , 2021) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                            
    • Educational and labour-market outcomes for young adults at risk of falling behind have improved. Since 2016, the share of 18-24 year-olds not in employment, education or training has fallen from 16% to 14% on average across the OECD. At the same time, the share of 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary qualification has decreased from 17% to 14%.
    • Job opportunities have also improved: the employment rate among 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary qualification has risen from 59% to 61%, and for those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment, it has increased from 76% to 79%.
    • Educational outcomes are transmitted across generations. Inequalities start early and persist through all stages of the education system. In countries with available data, children from low-income families are on average 18 percentage points less likely to be enrolled in early childhood education and care before the age of 3.
    • Students who start an upper secondary programme are 19 percentage points less likely to successfully complete their studies if their parents have not attained upper secondary education than their peers with parents who have a tertiary qualification, and this gap is 13 percentage points for those starting a bachelor’s programmes.
    • These disadvantages result in very different levels of educational attainment. While 72% of adults who have at least one parent with a tertiary qualification have also obtained a tertiary qualification, only 19% of those whose parents have not completed upper secondary education have tertiary attainment.
    • Public expenditure on early childhood education measured as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 9% between 2015 and 2021, significantly more than for other levels of education. Enrolment rates in early childhood education have also continued to rise across all age groups. On average across the OECD, 83% of children aged 3-5 are enrolled in pre-primary education, up from 79% in 2013.
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    • In almost all countries with available data, the share of younger adults (25-34 year-olds) without an upper secondary qualification has fallen since 2016 and for Costa Rica, Mexico, Portugal and Türkiye these declines have been in double digits in percentage-point terms. This means many more younger adults will have the opportunity to succeed in the labour market.
    • On average across OECD countries, the share of women with at least a bachelor's or equivalent degree has almost doubled in a generation: going from 24% among 55-64 year-olds to 47% among 25-34 year-olds, reflecting a substantial increase in educational attainment.
    • In most OECD countries, the share of 18-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in formal education or training (NEET) has decreased between 2016 and 2023. Costa Rica and Lithuania are exceptions, having experienced a rise above 3 percentage points in the share over this period.
    • Employment rates for younger adults (25-34 year-olds) slightly improved in most countries between 2016 and 2023, irrespective of their educational attainment level. However, the gap in employment rates between younger adults with below upper secondary attainment and those with tertiary attainment has widened in more than half of OECD, partner and/or accession countries with comparable data for both years.
    • In OECD countries, workers who have not attained upper secondary education earn, on average, 18% less than those who have attained this level of education. Meanwhile, workers with a tertiary education earn, on average, 56% more than those with only an upper secondary education.
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 (84%) attend early childhood education (ECE) programmes across the OECD, yet only 32% of those aged 0 to 2 are enrolled in early childhood educational development programmes (ISCED 01) on average. Younger children from low-income families are least likely to attend these programmes, despite being likely to benefit the most.
    • Since 2013, 12 countries have extended the length of compulsory education at either pre-primary or upper secondary level. As enrolment rates in the years before and after compulsory education are already generally high, these measures often aim to increase enrolment among disadvantaged groups, where rates are lower.
    • The vast majority of primary students are enrolled in public institutions, averaging 85% across OECD countries. In some countries, government-dependent private institutions are prevalent, which often function in similar ways to public institutions.
    • Gender disparities at the upper secondary level affect students’ pathways in the labour market and higher education. On average, 51% of graduates from upper secondary general programmes are female, but in vocational programmes female only make up 46% of graduates.
    • Family background strongly influences success in upper secondary education. In all countries with available data, students whose parents have lower educational attainment have substantially lower completion rates than students with a tertiary-educated parent. Completion rates for students with immigrant backgrounds are also lower than for non-immigrant students.
    • On average, women are over-represented in tertiary education, but they remain under-represented in some fields. Only 15% of female new entrants at tertiary level choose a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) field, compared to 41% of male new entrants. In contrast, only 4% of male entrants opted for the field of education and 8% for health and welfare, shares which have not changed since 2015.
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    • Expenditure per student increases with the educational level in nearly all OECD countries, although by how much varies substantially among countries. On average, expenditure per student amounts to about USD 11 900 at primary level, USD 13 300 at secondary level and USD 20 500 at tertiary level.
    • OECD countries spend, on average, the equivalent of 4.9% of their gross domestic product (GDP) (over USD 3.5 trillion in total) on educational institutions from primary to tertiary levels (including tertiary research and development). Iceland, Israel, Norway and the United Kingdom invest over 6% of their national output into education.
    • Private sources play a much more important role in funding tertiary education, relative to government sources, than at lower levels. On average, private sources of funding amount to 0.3% of GDP for primary to post-secondary non-tertiary institutions, with a similar percentage for tertiary institutions. In contrast, government funding amounts to 3.2% of GDP for primary to post-secondary non-tertiary institutions, well above the 1.0% of GDP that governments spend on tertiary institutions.
    • On average, across OECD countries, the government is the primary source of funding for both public and private primary schools. For public institutions, the government covers nearly all expenditure, amounting to about USD 11 900 per student, while it accounts for less than 60% of the costs for private ones, roughly USD 7 900 per student, on average. However, these figure vary considerably across countries.
    • Tuition fees for bachelor's degrees vary considerably from country to country. In one-third of the countries and other participants with data, public institutions either offer tuition-free education to national students or charge less than USD 1 100 per year in fees. In another third of countries, annual tuition fees are relatively modest, averaging between USD 1 400 and USD 3 100 per student. In the remaining countries, fees are considerably higher, exceeding USD 4 500 per year.
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    • Between 2013 and 2022, the ratio of children to teaching staff at pre-primary level fell across most countries, from 16:1 to 15:1 on average in OECD countries, due to fewer enrolled children and more teachers. In some countries, however, the ratio has increased due to rising child enrolment and teacher shortages.
    • In most OECD countries, the salaries of teachers increase with the level of education they teach. On average across OECD countries and other participants, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 52 631 at pre-primary level to USD 60 803 at upper secondary level.
    • Between 2015 and 2023, the statutory salaries of teachers at primary and secondary levels increased by 28-29% in nominal terms on average across OECD countries. When adjusted for changes in prices, the rise in real salaries was much smaller, at 4-5%.
    • Based on official regulations or agreements, teachers in public schools in OECD countries and other participants are required to teach on average 1 007 hours per year at pre-primary level, 773 hours at primary level, 706 hours at lower secondary level (general programmes) and 679 hours at upper secondary level (general programmes).
    • Of the 21 countries with available data, 18 reported that they faced teacher shortages at the start of the 2022/23 academic year, with only Greece, Korea and Türkiye not reporting any shortages.
    • The ageing of the teaching workforce is more pronounced in secondary schools than in primary education. On average across OECD countries, the share of older teachers (aged 50 and over) increases with the education level: from 34% in primary education to 36% in lower secondary and 41% in upper secondary education.
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    Key
    Diagram of funding flows - France

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    Key
    Country Reviews for France

    Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website for each publication.
    All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/

    Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2018 for school year 2017/2018.

    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Annex 3 of EAG 2021 for more details about the data collections.

    B-S-J-Z (China) refers to the four PISA-participating provinces/municipalities of the People's Republic of China: Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

    For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.