-
Economic Empowerment: According to the World Bank, each additional year of schooling can increase a person’s earnings by up to 10% (World Bank, 2018). Moreover, countries with higher literacy rates tend to have stronger economies, with every 1% increase in literacy potentially leading to a 2.5% increase in GDP (World Bank, 2018).
-
Breaking Barriers: UNESCO reports that there are still approximately 258 million children and youth worldwide who are out of school, with poverty being a major barrier to access (UNESCO, 2020). However, for every year of schooling, a child’s future earning potential increases by 10%, highlighting education’s role in breaking the cycle of poverty (World Bank, 2018).
-
Gender Equality: While progress has been made, UNESCO notes that disparities still exist in access to education, particularly for girls (UNESCO, 2020). In some regions, girls are less likely to attend school than boys. However, statistics show that for every additional year of schooling a girl receives, her future income can increase by up to 20%, underscoring the importance of investing in girls’ education (World Bank, 2018).
-
Innovation and Development: Education fuels innovation and drives societal progress. Research indicates that countries with higher levels of education tend to be more innovative, leading to technological advancements and societal development (OECD, 2019). Increasing educational attainment by just one year can lead to a 3-6% increase in GDP per capita (OECD, 2019).
-
Health and Well-being: Education is also closely linked to health outcomes. UNESCO highlights that educated individuals are more likely to adopt healthy behaviors, resulting in lower mortality rates and improved overall well-being (UNESCO, 2020). Each additional year of schooling is associated with a 7-9% reduction in mortality rates (World Bank, 2018).
References:
- World Bank. (2018). “The World Bank in Education.”
- UNESCO. (2020). “Global Education Monitoring Report.”
- OECD. (2019). “Education at a Glance.”