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Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Arabia
Overview of the education system (EAG 2021)
  • In 2019, 22% of 3-5 year-olds were enrolled in early childhood education and care programmes and primary education in Saudi Arabia, compared to 88% on average across OECD countries.
    • | Education at a Glance 2021 | Country Note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2021 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | Ministry of Education | General Authority for Statistics |
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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

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (43.5 %, rank 9/45 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23.6 %, rank 38/46 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Saudi Arabia has one of the lowest percentages of 25-64 year-olds whose highest education level is a short-cycle tertiary education degree. (0.2 %, rank 36/40 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Saudi Arabia has one of the lowest percentages of 25-64 year-olds whose highest education level is a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree. (0.1 %, rank 43/43 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The enrolment rate of 6-14 year-olds in Saudi Arabia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (95.8 %, rank 40/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among 15-19 year-olds in Saudi Arabia is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (88.3 %, rank 10/43 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The proportion of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.5 %, rank 44/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in early childhood education in Saudi Arabia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.3 %, rank 40/41 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in Saudi Arabia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (11.9 %, rank 41/41 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students in public tertiary educational institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (95.5 %, rank 5/43 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of 30-39 year-olds in Saudi Arabia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.5 %, rank 41/41 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of 40-64 year-olds in Saudi Arabia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.6 %, rank 33/41 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 3-5 year-old children in early childhood and primary education in Saudi Arabia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (21.6 %, rank 41/41 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Saudi Arabia, the enrolment rate of children under 3 is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 37/39 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of upper secondary 15-19-year-old students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1 %, rank 42/42 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of upper secondary 20-24-year-old students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 41/41 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    Among OECD and partner countries with available data, Saudi Arabia has one of the smallest shares of women graduates from tertiary programmes. (55.2 %, rank 28/36 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Saudi Arabia, the share of female doctoral graduates in the field of Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is relatively low. (36.7 %, rank 40/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Saudi Arabia, the share of female doctoral graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively low. (8.5 %, rank 43/43 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Saudi Arabia, the share of female doctoral graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively low. (0 %, rank 43/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Saudi Arabia, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7 %, rank 37/43 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of education is relatively high in Saudi Arabia. (8.2 %, rank 8/43 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Saudi Arabia, the proportion of male tertiary graduates in the field of arts and humanities is relatively large. (13.2 %, rank 2/43 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Saudi Arabia, the share of male tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (36.1 %, rank 3/43 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (7.2 %, rank 42/43 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.2 %, rank 2/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (30.4 %, rank 8/44 , 2019) 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. (8.1 %, rank 6/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.8 %, rank 5/43 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.1 %, rank 43/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.8 %, rank 40/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of services is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.1 %, rank 40/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of arts and humaties in Saudi Arabia is relatively large. (37 %, rank 1/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of sciences, journalism and information in Saudi Arabia is relatively small. (4.3 %, rank 43/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of business, administration and law in Saudi Arabia is relatively large. (25.1 %, rank 1/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Saudi Arabia is relatively small. (14.1 %, rank 39/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction in Saudi Arabia is relatively small. (3.6 %, rank 43/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of health and welfare in Saudi Arabia is relatively small. (2.5 %, rank 42/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    In Saudi Arabia, the percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is relatively low. (0.1 %, rank 44/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    In Saudi Arabia, 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. (23.2 %, rank 9/75 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    Compared to 2011, GDP is comparatively low. (103 Index, rank 40/45 , 2018) Download Indicator

    From 2012 to 2018, the average annual growth in the number of full-time equivalent student in tertiary education is one of the largest in Saudi Arabia. (5 %, rank 3/37 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Public and private expenditure in education

    Compared to 2015, the share of total government expenditure is comparatively low in Saudi Arabia. (93 Index, rank 44/46 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in pre-primary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/39 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in primary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (52.3 %, rank 44/44 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in lower secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (51.5 %, rank 37/40 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in upper secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (52.8 %, rank 35/42 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (65 %, rank 5/20 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in short-cycle tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (29.7 %, rank 25/25 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The number of students per teacher in tertiary institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.6 Ratio, rank 8/34 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The number of students per teacher in secondary schools is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (13.6 Ratio, rank 10/37 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff in post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Saudi Arabia. (0.7 Ratio, rank 19/19 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low. (74 %, rank 42/45 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (64.5 %, rank 39/44 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (74 %, rank 41/45 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Participation in education by gender

    The share of women among tertiary education new entrants is one of the smallest compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (44.9 %, rank 39/39 , 2019) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in Saudi Arabia is comparatively small. (28.6 %, rank 37/39 , 2019) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • One in five  adults across the OECD has not attained upper secondary education.
    •  In 2020, the unemployment rate of adults that had not completed upper secondary education was almost twice as high  as those with higher qualifications, and 27%  of these adults earn only at or below half the median on average across OECD countries.
    • In 2019, at least 10% of school-aged youth were not in school in about a quarter of OECD countries.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    •  In 2019, women made up 55%  of new entrants to tertiary education on average. If current patterns continue, it is expected that 46%  of young women will graduate with a tertiary degree for the first time before they turn 30, 15 percentage  points more than men.
    • Women also earn on average about 76-78% of men’s salaries regardless of educational attainment, although the gender gap narrowed by 2 percentage points  between 2013 and 2019.
    • Women are less likely than men to enter a STEM field of study, and the average share remained generally stable  between 2013 and 2019.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Gender | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • On average across countries, expenditure on educational institutions amounted to approximately USD 9 300 per student at pre-primary level; USD 10 500  at primary, secondary and post-secondary non tertiary level; and USD 17 100  at tertiary level.
    • The public sector funds 90% of total expenditure on primary and secondary institutions on average, often compulsory in most OECD countries, compared to 83% at pre-primary level and 66% at tertiary level.
    •  In 2018, the OECD countries spent on average 4.9%  of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on primary to tertiary educational institutions.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | How has private expenditure on tertiary education evolved over time and how does it affect participation in education? | How much would it cost to reduce class size by one student? | 
    
                            
    
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    • In 2019, less than 5% of pre-primary teachers were men, compared to 18% at primary level, 40% at upper secondary level and more than 50% at  tertiary level on average.
    • Between 2005 and 2020, on average across OECD countries and economies with available data for all reference years, the statutory salaries of teachers with 15 years of experience and the most prevalent qualifications increased by 3%  at primary level, 4%  at lower secondary level (general programmes) and 2%  at upper secondary level (general programmes).
    • In most countries, teachers above 50 years of age make up more than a third of the teaching force. 
    • Attracting male teachers to the profession can be difficult: While the average actual salary of female teachers is equal to or higher than the average salary of other full-time, tertiary-educated women, primary and secondary male teachers earn between 76% and 85%  of the average earnings of other full-time, tertiary-educated men.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | Teachers' salaries evolution and how they compare to those of tertiary-educated workers | How do primary and secondary teachers compare? | 
    
                            
    
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    • On average across OECD countries, 87% of children aged 3-5 are enrolled in education on average across OECD countries compared to 25% for children below the age of 3.
    • There are 15 children for every teacher at pre-primary level on average across OECD countries.
    • Half of children enrolled in early childhood development services and a two-thirds of pre-primary children attend public institutions on average across OECD countries
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation - Early Childhood Education | OECD Early Childhood Education and Care Project | Starting Strong 2017: Key OECD Indicators on Early Childhood Education and Care | Starting Strong V: Transitions from Early Childhood Education and Care to Primary Education | Who bears the cost of early childhood education and how does it affect enrolment? | Access to early childhood and the participation of women in the labour market | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - Saudi Arabia
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
				Key
            
    
            Country Reviews for Saudi Arabia
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            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/
            

    
	    *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.