Education at a Glance is the authoritative source of information on the state of education worldwide. It offers comprehensive data on the structure, financing, and performance of education systems across OECD countries and partner economies. This publication features more than 100 charts and tables that present key insights into the output of educational institutions, the impact of learning across countries, access and participation in education, financial investment in education, and the roles of teachers and school organisation. This country note provides an overview of the key characteristics of the education system in Peru. In line with this year’s thematic focus, it focus on teacher shortages while also covering other parts of the education system.

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 evaluates what students know and can do in science, reading, mathematics and computational problem-solving, assessing how effectively they can apply their knowledge to real-world challenges. The assessment also explores a range of broader competencies, attitudes and behaviours, including curiosity, perseverance and the use of artificial intelligence. PISA results provide valuable insights into the quality and equity of learning outcomes around the world, enabling educators and policymakers to learn from each other’s policies and practices. This country note provides a country-specific overview of Peru.

Over the past two decades, Peru has significantly strengthened its education and skills system. Measures to improve access have resulted in participation rates on a par with OECD standards, while targeted quality reforms have helped raise learning outcomes, professionalise the teaching career, and improve the labour market relevance of education and training. These efforts have come at an important moment. Despite recent economic growth and solid macroeconomic foundations, inequality remains high, informality is widespread, and skills gaps continue to constrain productivity and social mobility. This report assesses Peru’s education and skills policies and practices against those of the OECD and reference countries in Latin America, covering the full learning lifecycle – from early childhood education and care to adult learning. It identifies the system’s main strengths and challenges and explores how Peru can draw on OECD evidence and international experience to advance its education reform agenda. The report will be of interest in Peru, as well as in other countries looking to raise the quality, equity and efficiency of their education systems.

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines what students know in reading, mathematics and science, and what they can do with what they know. It provides the most comprehensive and rigorous international assessment of student learning outcomes to date. Results from PISA indicate the quality and equity of learning outcomes attained around the world, and allow educators and policy makers to learn from the policies and practices applied in other countries. This country note provides a country-specific overview of Peru.

The Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), was designed to provide insights into the availability of some of these key skills in society and how they are used at work and at home. The first survey of its kind, it directly measures proficiency in three information-processing skills: literacy, numeracy and problem-solving in technology-rich environments. This country note provides a country-specific overview of Peru.

Skills are central to Peru's future prosperity and the well-being of its people. Peru's economic development to date has largely been driven by abundant natural resources and high commodity prices in the global market. The goal for the future is to ensure productive diversification, expand export capacity and take part in global value chains with more complex goods and services. Boosting the development, activation and use of skills will be key to achieving these ambitions. As demonstrated by the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), which Peru is currently deploying, higher skills levels are not only associated with higher productivity and earnings, but also with other important outcomes, such as better health, higher levels of trust and greater propensity to contribute to society through volunteering. The OECD Skills Strategy Diagnostic Report: Peru sets out nine skills challenges for Peru. These challenges were identified through two interactive workshops with stakeholders as well as through analysis of the OECD and other data sources. The first six challenges refer to specific outcomes across the three pillars of developing, activating and using skills. The next three challenges refer to the "enabling" conditions that strengthen the overall skills system.

Vocational education and training (VET) programmes are facing rapid change and intensifying challenges. How can employers and unions be engaged? How can workbased learning be used? How can teachers and trainers be effectively prepared? How should postsecondary programmes be structured? The country reports in this series look at these and other questions. They form part of Skills beyond School, OECD policy reviews of vocational education and training.