EDUCATION
FACT SHEET

INVESTING IN EDUCATION FROM
EARLY CHILDHOOD TO LIFELONG LEARNING
Education is a human right, a powerful driver of development, and one of the
strongest instruments for reducing poverty, improving health, promoting gender
equality, peace, resilience, and adaptation to climate change. It delivers large,
consistent returns in terms of income, and is a critical factor to ensure equity and
inclusion.

The World Bank is the largest external financier of education in the developing
world. Through financing and technical assistance, we support governments’ efforts
in education, benefitting children from birth to adulthood. We help countries share
and apply innovative solutions to education challenges, focusing on systemic
reforms across the education cycle to skill, reskill and upskill the workforce for
lifelong learning.




            OUR VISION
            To ensure that everyone can achieve their full potential with access to
            a quality education and skilling for lifelong learning and equip them
            with the tools to participate in their country’s development.




            OUR OBJECTIVE
            We have set a goal to end Learning Poverty, defined as the share of
            children who are not able to read and understand a short story of age-
            appropriate material. We are committed to invest in human capital,
            improve the quality of and access to education and skilling, and
            thereby promote greater equity and economic growth. Foundational
            skills like literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills are the building
            blocks for all other learning. From early childhood to tertiary education
            and beyond – we help children and youth acquire the skills they need
            to thrive in school, the labor market and throughout their lives. Our
            efforts support the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development
            Goal 4 (SDG4).


                                                                                         Photo credits (from top to bottom)
                                                                                         © Arne Hoel / World Bank
                                                                                         © Charlotte Kesl / World Bank
                                                                                         © Gerhard Jörén / World Bank
Since 2000, the World Bank                         IMPACT OF WORLD BANK-SUPPORTED
has committed more than                            PROJECTS
US$78 BILLION1                                     305.2 MILLION STUDENTS
in supporting education projects,                  351.7 M Expected
COVERING 160 COUNTRIES
                                                   reached through our active programs.


The World Bank Education
Global Practice currently
                                                   $21.43 BILLION
provides implementation                            in total commitments to projects focusing
support to                                         on low- and middle- income countries (LMICs).


162 PROJECTS                                       $7.42 BILLION
for a total commitment of                          in total commitments to active projects in fragility,
$27.1 BILLION                                      conflict, and violence (FCV) settings.

This includes:
                                                   162 ADVISORY SERVICES
104                IDA credits/grants
                   ($16.38 BILLION)
                                                   to support institutional capacity and technical
                                                   assistance in 101 countries since July 2017.


     46            IBRD loans
                   ($10.25 BILLION)
                                        World Bank Education Investments Around the World (US$),
                                        as of November 2024.
       12          Recipient-Executed
                   Trust Funds                                                number of active projects
                   ($0.47 BILLION)
                                           Sub-Saharan Africa      $12.62B 73

In addition, the World Bank
                                                     South Asia     $5.56B 24
continues to be an
administrative agency
                                               Middle East and
of Global Partnership for                                           $3.03B 14
                                                  North Africa
Education (GPE) grants.
                                             Latin America and
Since 2015, the World Bank                                          $2.82B 21
                                                 the Caribbean
has managed 64% of all
GPE project implementation                          Europe and
                                                    Central Asia    $2.08B 20
grants ($6.2 billion).
                                                  East Asia and
                                                    the Pacific     $0.98B 10
1
    All dollars are in US$.




                                        For more information about the World Bank’s work in education,
                                        please visit: www.worldbank.org/education		
                                        Follow the World Bank – Education Global Practice on   :
                                        @WBG_Education                                                    Published in November 2024