The percentage of young Brazilians who are neither studying, working, nor participating in training or education fell by 4.4 percentage points from 2016 to 2024, as per the report Education at a Glance 2026, released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The rate of 18- to 24-year-olds in this situation fell from 26.8 percent in 2016 to 22.4 percent in 2024.

In a press release, the Brazilian Ministry of Education notes that the Brazilian figure is “nearly double the average reduction (2.3 percentage points) recorded by the OECD over the same period.”

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Ricardo Henriques, executive superintendent of Instituto Unibanco, acknowledges the progress but points out that it remains insufficient, as more than a quarter of young adults have not yet completed their basic education.

“The task is to build a path where young people can stay in school, learn, complete their education, and find decent employment. This depends on education, social protection, and labor policies working in a coordinated manner,” he argued.

Fewer youths without a high school diploma

Another positive finding for Brazil is that the proportion of young people aged 25 to 34 who have not completed high school decreased from 35 percent in 2016 to 26 percent in 2024. However, Brazil’s percentage is still higher than the 12 percent average observed by the OECD in the other countries analyzed.

The Ministry of Education attributes these advances to the implementation of government programs such as the Pé-de-Meia – a financial-educational incentive to encourage public high school students to stay in school and graduate – and the Bolsa Família – a cash transfer initiative that benefits families living in poverty and extreme poverty.

Finishing high school

The OECD report also highlights the gender gap in high school completion. In Brazil, women are seven percentage points more likely to complete this stage of basic education than men – a larger gap than that observed in most other countries with data available in this edition.

The international organization notes that, in Brazil, among all students who entered high school, 20 percent drop out without graduating.

Another finding from the study indicates that 79 percent of new students who entered high school completed this stage within two years of the standard expected duration of study, compared to an average completion rate of 85 percent among the countries included in the survey.

After this two-year period intended for completion, only one percent remained enrolled in school attempting to graduate.

When considering adults from different generations (ages 25 to 64) who have completed high school, Brazil’s proportion of 40 percent in 2024 is similar to the 39 percent average among OECD countries.

Higher education

In 2024, 22 percent of Brazilian adults of working age (25 to 64 years old) had completed higher education – just over half the OECD average of 43 percent.

In Ricardo Henriques’ view, the gap between Brazil and OECD countries stems from a historical educational deficit, and overcoming its consequences requires integrated actions on various fronts to ensure continued progress. These include offering more flexible courses for adults of different generations, providing financial support, and fostering coordination between technical and academic training.

“Expanding access [to higher education] must be accompanied by quality and retention policies, especially for those who struggle to balance study, work, and family responsibilities,” he pointed out.

Speaking to Agência Brasil, he said that when access to education is concentrated among a portion of the population, the country wastes talent and limits opportunities for social mobility. For the economy, this bottleneck restricts the ability to increase productivity, innovate, and adopt new technologies. “We can turn increased schooling into better opportunities for people and greater development potential for Brazil,” he declared.

The full report is available on the OECD website.