Education at a Glance is the authoritative source for information on the state of education around the world. It provides data on the structure, finances and performance of education systems across OECD countries and a number of partner economies.

This report includes a focus on vocational education and training, investigating participation in vocational education and training at various levels of education, the labour market and social outcomes of vocational graduates as well as the human and financial resources invested in vocational institutions.

Two new indicators on how vocational education and training systems differ around the world and on upper secondary completion rate complement this topic. A specific chapter is dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goal 4, and investigates the quality and participation in secondary education.

Key findings:

• The employment advantage of an upper secondary vocational qualification over a general one tends to weaken over the life-course
• Combined school- and work-based learning is relatively uncommon despite the benefits
• Enabling VET students to pursue tertiary studies can improve their learning and employment outcomes
• Total spending on educational institutions has increased at a lower rate than GDP
• Instruction and teaching time have remained relatively stable over time.