Education at a Glance 2025: Brazil
Table of contents
This country note provides an overview of the key characteristics of the education system in Brazil based on data from Education at a Glance 2025. In line with this year’s thematic focus, it emphasises tertiary education while also covering other parts of the education system. The data in this note are provided for the latest available year. Readers interested in the reference years for the data should refer to the corresponding tables in Education at a Glance 2025.
In 2024, nearly a quarter of 18-24 year-olds in Brazil were neither employed nor in education or training (NEET), higher than the OECD average of 14% (Table A2.2). This share decreased by six percentage points from 2019 (30%) to 2024 (24%). A significant gender gap can be observed in Brazil, with 29% of women and 19% of men being NEET in 2024, whereas NEET rates for men and women tend to be similar in most other OECD countries.
Income inequalities between workers with different attainment levels are high in Brazil. Brazilian 25-64 year-olds who complete tertiary education earn on average 148% more than their upper secondary educated counterparts’ earnings, a wage premium well above the OECD average of 54% (Table A4.1). Meanwhile, individuals with below upper secondary attainment in Brazil earn approximately 75% of the income of those with upper secondary attainment, a lower ratio than the OECD average.
Brazil has recorded significant growth in VET enrolment over the last decade, with the proportion of upper secondary students involved in vocational programmes increasing from 8% to 14% (Table B3.2). However, this share remains a third of the OECD average and is lower than in other Latin American countries. Recent reforms through the Novo Ensino Médio made vocational education an optional component of upper secondary programmes, allowing them to become more flexible and locally adapted (OECD, 2023[1]).
25% of first-year students drop out after the first year of their bachelor’s programmes in Brazil (Figure B5.3). Even three years after the end of the theoretical programme duration only 49% of new entrants into bachelor’s programmes have successfully completed their studies compared to an OECD average of 70%. These low retention and completion rates of tertiary education contribute a tertiary attainment rate of 24% among 25-34 year-olds, which is slightly less than half of the OECD average of 49% of young adults.
Tertiary education in Brazil is characterised by a high degree of institutional autonomy and decentralised decision-making. Admission decisions, including the consideration of examination results, are made at the discretion of individual institutions (Table D6.2). Brazil is one of only seven countries —alongside Chile, Israel, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and the United States—where entrance examination results may be used to determine financial support for students entering tertiary institutions. While this approach can incentivise academic performance, it may also raise equity concerns, as students from disadvantaged backgrounds often face barriers to excelling in such exams. To allow students to access alternative pathways, credit recognition for prior learning is permitted and common, though criteria—such as subject compatibility, academic performance, and time elapsed—are set individually by universities.
Different indicators provide varying perspectives of Brazil’s public spending on education. From primary to tertiary education (excluding R&D), government expenditure per student in Brazil is USD 3 762, around a third of the OECD average (Table C1.1). Compared to other Latin American countries, the amount is lower than in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Argentina, but higher than in Mexico and Peru. In contrast, expressing government expenditure as a percentage of GDP places Brazil, with 4.3% of the country’s economy dedicated to public funding of primary to tertiary education, well above the OECD average of 3.6%.
In Brazil, compulsory education begins at age four, one year before primary school. Although only one year of pre-primary education is mandatory, Brazil guarantees a legal entitlement to early childhood education and care (ECEC) from birth upon parental request, one of only six OECD, partner, or accession countries to do so. However, free provision begins at age four, contributing to low enrolment among children aged 0–2. Though enrolment for this age group remains below the OECD average, it has risen from 16% to 25% over the past decade (Table B1.2).
The share of young adults (25-34 year-olds) without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, reaching an average of 13%. This trend also continues in Brazil, where the share fell from 32% to 27% between 2019 and 2023 (Table A1.2).
Individuals with greater educational attainment generally face a lower risk of unemployment and earn higher wages. Completing upper secondary education is particularly important in reducing the risk of unemployment. On average across the OECD, 13% of young adults (25-34 year-olds) without an upper secondary qualification are unemployed, compared to 7% of those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment. Those who go on to gain a tertiary qualification see a relatively smaller further reduction in unemployment, with 5% of tertiary-educated young adults unemployed on average across the OECD. This pattern is similar in Brazil (albeit at a lower level): 10% of young adults without an upper secondary qualification are unemployed, compared to 8% of those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment and 5% of those with tertiary attainment—in total representing 24% of young adults (Table A3.4).
In per cent
For data, see OECD (2025) Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en, Table A3.5.
On average, individuals with a master’s or equivalent degree have significantly higher employment rates and earnings than those with a bachelor’s or equivalent degree. However, the share of young adults (25-34 year-olds) attaining a master’s or equivalent qualification varies widely across OECD countries, ranging from 1% to 39% in 2024. In Brazil, 1% of 25-34 year-olds hold a master’s or equivalent degree, which is below the OECD average of 16% (Table A1.2). This share was the same in 2019.
The average wage gap between individuals (25-64 year-olds) with and without upper secondary educational attainment is relatively modest across OECD countries. In 2023, workers without upper secondary qualifications earn on average 17% less than those who have completed upper secondary education. In contrast, tertiary qualifications tend to yield much greater benefits in terms of earnings than in terms of employment. On average across the OECD, workers with tertiary attainment earn 54% more than those with upper secondary attainment. In Brazil, the wage gap between workers with and without upper secondary attainment is larger than the OECD average, at 26% (Table A4.1). The gap between those with upper secondary and tertiary attainment is also larger than the OECD average, at 148%. This suggests a generally more wage distribution by educational attainment in Brazil, which may indicate higher returns to education but also a higher level of income inequality compared to the OECD average.
Education systems must adapt to changes in the number of children by expanding or reducing provision accordingly. In many countries, the population of children aged 0-4 changed significantly between 2013 and 2023 and is projected to change further by 2033. Brazil experienced virtually no change in the number of 0-4 year-olds, and is projected to see a decline of 9% between 2023 and 2033 (Figure B1.3).
The share of students in lower secondary education who are at least two years older than the expected age for their grade varies widely across OECD countries, ranging from virtually none in some countries to over 10% in others. In Brazil, the share is at the upper end of the OECD distribution in 2023, at 10% (Figure B2.2).
Across the OECD, the two most popular broad fields of study are science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and business, administration, and law, each accounting for 23% of graduates from bachelor’s or equivalent programmes. They are closely followed by the broad field of arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information, at 22% of graduates. In Brazil, 16% of bachelor’s degree students graduate from a STEM field, 34% from business, administration and law, and 8% from arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information (Table B4.2).
In many countries, it is common for new entrants to bachelor’s programmes to take at least one gap year between the end of their upper secondary education and the start of their tertiary education. In Brazil, 76% of new entrants do so, well above the OECD average of 44%.
Completion rates reflect the share of new entrants to bachelor’s programmes who successfully obtain a tertiary degree within specified timeframes. These rates remain low in most OECD countries. In Brazil, 38% of new entrants complete their bachelor’s degree within the theoretical duration of the programme (Table B5.1). This rises to 43% one year after the expected end date, and to 49% three years after. In comparison, the OECD average completion rate is 43% within the theoretical duration, increasing to 59% after an additional year and 70% after three years (Figure 2).
In per cent
For data, see OECD (2025) Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en, Table B5.1.
In all countries, women starting bachelor’s programmes are more likely than their male peers to successfully complete their tertiary studies within three years of the end of the theoretical duration of the programme. In Brazil, the gender gap is 9 percentage points (53% for women compared to 43% for men), which is smaller than the OECD average of 12 percentage points (Table B5.2).
Completion rates vary by field of study. On average across the OECD, only 58% of new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in STEM fields have graduated at that level in the same field within three years after the expected end of their studies. Completion rates in the field of health and welfare are significantly higher, at 74%. In Brazil, STEM completion rates are 38%, lower than those for health and welfare, at 46% (Table B5.3).
Students who do not complete their tertiary education may drop out at various stages. High dropout rates in the first year can signal a mismatch between student expectations and the content or demands of their programmes, possibly reflecting a lack of career guidance for prospective students or insufficient support for new entrants. In Brazil, the share of first-time entrants in bachelor’s programmes who drop out after the first year is higher than the OECD average, at 25% (compared to 13%) (Table B5.1).
International student mobility in tertiary education continues to rise across the OECD, with some countries experiencing substantial growth in the share of international students between 2018 and 2023. On average, 7.4% of all tertiary students across the OECD were international or foreign students, compared to 6% in 2018. Brazil was one of the few countries with no increase, as the share remained constant at 0.2% (Figure B4.3).
There are significant disparities in how much governments spend each year in education across OECD, partner and accession countries. Brazil spends USD 3 872 per student from primary to post-secondary non-tertiary levels, placing the country at the lower end when compared to other countries’ expenditure on education, which range from less than USD 2 000 to more than USD 27 000 (Figure 3).
In equivalent USD converted using PPPs, expenditure on educational institutions
Note: Expenditure at tertiary level includes R&D. Expenditure per student in early childhood education is based on headcounts rather than full-time equivalent students. Expenditure at tertiary level for Luxembourg (USD 54 384) is not shown in the figure.
1. Year of reference differs from 2022.
2. Primary includes pre-primary education.
3. Includes payments by households outside educational institutions.
For data, see OECD (2025) Education at a Glance 2025: OECD Indicators, https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en, Table C1.1 and Table C1.2.
In contrast to most other countries, government expenditure in Brazil is roughly the same at tertiary level, including research and development (R&D), compared to primary to post-secondary non-tertiary levels. Government expenditure in Brazil amounts to USD 3 765 per tertiary student compared to the OECD average of USD 15 102 (Table C1.1).
Attracting second-career teachers can help alleviate teacher shortages while bringing individuals with a broader range of experience into the profession. To support this, 16 out of 28 countries with available data (including Brazil) offer dedicated alternative pathways into teaching for individuals changing careers (Figure D8.3).
The amount of compulsory instruction time affects teacher salary costs as it influences the number of teachers needed, combined with other factors such as class size and teaching time of teachers. In Brazil, students receive 800 hours of compulsory instruction per year in primary education and 800 hours in lower secondary education (Table D1.1). This is below the OECD average of 804 hours in primary and 909 hours in lower secondary education.
Across the OECD, the average class size at primary level has not changed since 2013, at 20.6 students. In Brazil, the average class size in primary education in 2023 was 20 students, down by 3 students since 2013 (Figure D2.3).
Countries use a range of admission systems to tertiary public education institutions. These vary as to whether admission is open or selective, and whether applications are submitted directly to institutions or to a central body. In Brazil, admission is selective, requiring applicants to meet specific criteria and/or succeed in a competitive process (Figure D6.3). Applications are submitted either through a centralised system or directly to institutions, depending on the programme. The centralised system allocates places based on national exam scores, while direct applications require institution-specific entrance exams or multi-year assessments conducted during upper secondary school. This mixed approach is less common among across OECD and partner countries—apart from Brazil, only Australia, Korea, Lithuania, and Portugal use both centralised and direct application systems. In close to half of countries and economies with available data, students apply directly to institutions, while in around one-third, they apply through a centralised system.
References
[1] OECD (2023), OECD Economic Surveys: Brazil 2023, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/a2d6acac-en.
For more information on Education at a Glance 2025 and to access the full set of indicators, see: https://doi.org/10.1787/1c0d9c79-en.
For more information on the methodology used during the data collection for each indicator, the references to the sources and the specific notes for each country, see Education at a Glance 2025: Sources, Methodologies and Technical Notes, https://doi.org/10.1787/fcfaf2d1-en.
For general information on the methodology, please refer to the OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264304444-en.
Updated data can be found on line at http://data-explorer.oecd.org/ and by following the StatLinks in the publication.
Explore, compare and visualise more data and analysis using the Education GPS: https://gpseducation.oecd.org/.
Questions can be directed to the Education at a Glance team at the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills: EDU.EAG@oecd.org.
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Member countries of the OECD.
This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.
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