Taiwan outperforms global averages in UN education indicators

台灣在聯合國永續發展教育指標中表現優於世界平均水平

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan outperformed global averages across multiple categories in United Nations education indicators, according to Ministry of Education statistics, per CNA.

The ministry published “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — Education Statistical Indicators,” showing Taiwan’s completion rates for primary and secondary education were significantly higher than the world average.

In 2021, Taiwan’s elementary school completion rate stood at 99.98%, compared with the global average of 87.1%. The junior high school completion rate reached 99.75%, far exceeding the world average of 76.8%, while the senior high school completion rate was 98.81%, compared with a global average of 57.9%, the ministry said.

Taiwan also performed strongly in reducing the proportion of students exceeding the expected school age by more than two years. In 2023, the over-age rate at the elementary level was 0.01%, well below the global average of 10.06%. At the junior high level, the rate was 0.04%, compared with a worldwide average of 9.40%.

The ministry said Taiwan also exceeded global norms in early childhood education. The participation rate in organized learning programs in the year before elementary school reached 95.09% in 2023, higher than the world average of 75.11%. The data indicate the overwhelming majority of children attend kindergarten at age 5 before entering elementary school.

In higher education, Taiwan’s gross enrollment rate reached 90.3% in 2023, surpassing the global average of 43.2% and the East Asian regional average of 74.03%, according to the ministry.