Photo: Stig Nygaard derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 04 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Mozambique: Education & Knowledge
How far does a country's schooling carry its children?
Mozambique is placed 139th of 198 countries on education & knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Out-of-School Rate, Primary 1 (2024); Upper Secondary Completion Rate 8.65 (2025).
Share
Education & Knowledge
139th
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 2 of 4 key statistics
- 1Out-of-School Rate, Primary, 2024Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)
- —Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, 2024No reading for this country
- 8.65Upper Secondary Completion Rate, 2025Upper secondary completion rate (%)
- —Government Spending on Education, 2023No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Mozambique on education & knowledge — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Out-of-School Rate, Primary
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Mozambique’s is from 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0
1
Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)
Lower is better
Mozambique: 1. Across the 192 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0.004 (United Arab Emirates) to 65.6 (Equatorial Guinea); the world median is 3.691.
- World median
- 3.691
- Best in Eastern Africa
- 0.785 Mauritius
- Land neighbours
- Malawi 2.089 · Eswatini 3.825 · Tanzania 16.37 · South Africa 6.064 · Zambia 3.515 · Zimbabwe 10.52
Key 2 of 4
Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · CC BY-SA 4.0
No reading
Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)
Higher is better
UIS publishes no reading from 2014–2024 for Mozambique, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 187 countries at their latest reading, values run from 3.411 (Yemen) to 100 (United Arab Emirates); the world median is 85.9.
- World median
- 85.9
- Best in Eastern Africa
- 92.12 Kenya
- Land neighbours
- Tanzania 67.97 · South Africa 78.78 · Zambia 46.61 · Zimbabwe 56.5
Key 3 of 4
Upper Secondary Completion Rate
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
8.65
Upper secondary completion rate (%)
Higher is better
Mozambique: 8.65. Across the 164 countries in this edition, values run from 2.13 (South Sudan) to 99.27 (South Korea); the world median is 64.87.
- World median
- 64.87
- Best in Eastern Africa
- 55.96 Mauritius
- Land neighbours
- Malawi 18.13 · Eswatini 37.73 · Tanzania 8.67 · South Africa 54.12 · Zambia 28.03 · Zimbabwe 8.15
Key 4 of 4
Government Spending on Education
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0
No reading
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Higher is better
UIS publishes no 2023 figure for Mozambique, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 123 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Somalia) to 16.39 (Kiribati); the world median is 3.709.
- World median
- 3.709
- Best in Eastern Africa
- 4.92 Rwanda
- Land neighbours
- Eswatini 5.004 · Tanzania 3.259 · South Africa 6.123 · Zambia 4.074 · Zimbabwe 0.385
02Over time
Which way Mozambique is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Out-of-School Rate, Primary
Out-of-school rate, primary age (%) · lower is better
MozambiqueWorld median
Mozambique fell from 45.18 in 2000 to 1 in 2022; the world median went from 8.642 to 3.002.
Every year’s figures
Year Mozambique World median 2024 — 3.691 2023 — 3.393 2022 1.0 3.002 2021 — 3.330 2020 0.8 2.678 2019 1.3 2.758 2018 3.4 2.439 2017 6.5 2.907 2016 4.5 2.954 2015 2.8 3.052 2014 3.9 3.904 2013 5.0 3.413 2012 6.9 3.408 2011 8.0 3.626 2010 6.6 3.491 2009 8.8 3.577 2008 10.6 3.878 2007 14.7 4.029 2006 20.5 4.338 2005 24.8 4.571 2004 30.3 3.791 2003 — 4.412 2002 44.2 4.144 2001 40.4 4.051 2000 45.2 8.642 Upper Secondary Completion Rate
Upper secondary completion rate (%) · higher is better
MozambiqueWorld median
Mozambique rose from 2.86 in 2000 to 8.65 in 2025; the world median went from 38 to 64.87.
Every year’s figures
Year Mozambique World median 2025 8.6 64.9 2024 8.4 65.0 2023 8.0 64.2 2022 7.6 63.6 2021 7.1 62.9 2020 6.6 62.2 2019 6.1 61.5 2018 5.8 60.9 2017 5.5 60.5 2016 5.2 60.1 2015 5.0 58.9 2014 4.9 57.0 2013 4.8 54.7 2012 4.6 52.4 2011 4.4 50.9 2010 4.2 49.5 2009 4.0 48.5 2008 3.9 47.4 2007 3.7 46.2 2006 3.6 45.0 2005 3.5 43.8 2004 3.3 42.9 2003 3.2 41.6 2002 3.1 40.3 2001 3.0 39.0 2000 2.9 38.0 Government Spending on Education
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP) · higher is better
MozambiqueWorld median
Mozambique rose from 3.198 in 2004 to 5.976 in 2022; the world median went from 3.974 to 4.057.
Every year’s figures
Year Mozambique World median 2023 — 3.7092 2022 5.98 4.0570 2021 6.34 4.2611 2020 6.17 4.4056 2019 6.00 4.1407 2018 5.39 4.2159 2017 5.49 4.1401 2016 5.80 4.2342 2015 5.92 4.2386 2014 6.40 4.2005 2013 6.04 4.3493 2012 5.56 4.0348 2011 5.53 3.9987 2010 5.25 4.1396 2009 — 4.6638 2008 — 4.4226 2007 — 4.1717 2006 3.74 4.0593 2005 3.86 4.0557 2004 3.20 3.9745 2003 — 4.1595 2002 — 4.0173 2001 — 4.1002 2000 — 3.8861
03In context
Mozambique beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on education & knowledge, never a place within the region.
Mozambique and the countries it borders
Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Out-of-School Rate, PrimaryOut-of-school rate, primary age (%) | Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before PrimaryChildren one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%) | Upper Secondary Completion RateUpper secondary completion rate (%) | Government Spending on EducationGovernment expenditure on education (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Eswatini | 101st | 3.825 | — | 37.73 | 5.004 |
 South Africa | =102nd | 6.064 | 78.78 | 54.12 | 6.123 |
| Mozambique | 139th | 1 | — | 8.65 | — |
 Malawi | 141st | 2.089 | — | 18.13 | — |
 Zambia | =144th | 3.515 | 46.61 | 28.03 | 4.074 |
 Tanzania | 169th | 16.37 | 67.97 | 8.67 | 3.259 |
 Zimbabwe | =190th | 10.52 | 56.5 | 8.15 | 0.385 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Eastern Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on education & knowledge
The countries immediately above and below Mozambique in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Mozambique is ahead of the world, and behind
16 more statistics filed under education & knowledge, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Behind the world median14
Statistics on which Mozambique does worse than the middle country measured.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.4730.446No earlier reading
Mozambique: 0.473 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 64th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Academic Freedom IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6190.4080.619▼ Worsened since 2015
Mozambique: 0.408 · world median 0.619 · Academic freedom index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.019 to 0.978; higher is better.
Position 115th of 176 · derived.
Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of PrimaryUIS · 2023 · world median 60.0836.360.08No earlier reading
Mozambique: 36.3 · world median 60.08 · Pupils at the end of primary reaching minimum proficiency in reading (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2 to 98.78; higher is better.
Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of PrimaryUIS · 2023 · world median 43.815.243.8No earlier reading
Mozambique: 15.2 · world median 43.8 · Pupils at the end of primary reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.8 to 93.42; higher is better.
Harmonized Test ScoresWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 414.32368.24414.32▼ Worsened since 2017
Mozambique: 368.24 · world median 414.32 · Harmonized test score (TIMSS-equivalent points; 300 = minimum, 625 = advanced attainment). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 304.92 to 575.27; higher is better.
Position 140th of 172 · derived.
Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 13.3410.8513.34No real change since 2013
Mozambique: 10.85 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.
Position 163rd of 195 · derived.
Adult Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 93.9961.6793.99No earlier reading
Mozambique: 61.67 · world median 93.99 · Adults 15+ who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 26.83 to 100; higher is better.
Position 151st of 172 · derived.
Researchers per Million InhabitantsUIS · 2024 · world median 701.9544.41701.95No earlier reading
Mozambique: 44.41 · world median 701.95 · Researchers per million inhabitants (full-time equivalent). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.446 to 18,130; higher is better.
Position 128th of 145 · derived.
Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 9.9334.599.933▲ Improved since 2013
Mozambique: 4.59 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.
Position 175th of 193 · derived.
Youth Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 98.2271.4498.22No earlier reading
Mozambique: 71.44 · world median 98.22 · 15–24 year-olds who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 36.7 to 100; higher is better.
Learning-Adjusted Years of SchoolWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 7.9414.4727.941No real change since 2017
Mozambique: 4.472 · world median 7.941 · Learning-adjusted years of school (0–14). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 2.207 to 12.81; higher is better.
Position 158th of 172 · derived.
Primary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 97.4353.5297.43▲ Improved since 2015
Mozambique: 53.52 · world median 97.43 · Primary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 7.94 to 100; higher is better.
Position 155th of 165 · derived.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.0520.529No earlier reading
Mozambique: 0.052 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Lower Secondary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 89.2119.3989.21No real change since 2015
Mozambique: 19.39 · world median 89.21 · Lower secondary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 13.73 to 100; higher is better.
Position 161st of 164 · derived.
No better end2
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Scholarly ArticlesOurResearch · 2025 · world median 2,2401,1052,240No real change since 2022
Mozambique: 1,105 · world median 2,240 · Articles with at least one author at an institution in the country (full counting). OpenAlex (OurResearch), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 1,094,890.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1728.9238.17No earlier reading
Mozambique: 28.92 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
No current reading for Mozambique
Bachelor's or Higher Attainment (last 2022), Female Share of STEM Graduates (last 2018), Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2018), Government Funding per Primary Student (last 2013), Government Spending on Education (last 2022), Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary (last 2018), Learning Poverty, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary Age (last 2022), Out-of-School Rate, Primary (last 2022), Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary (last 2018), Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate, Primary Schools with Electricity, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary (last 2022), Qualified Teachers in Primary Education (last 2022), Research and Development Spending (last 2015), School Life Expectancy (last 2017), Secondary School Enrolment (last 2017), Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes (last 2018), Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (last 2018), Trust in Scientists (last 2018) and Upper Secondary Attainment (last 2022). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Education & Knowledge among Mozambique’s 16 topics
Education & Knowledge is Mozambique’s 5th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainability29th of 1864/4 keys
- Work & Labour66th of 1824/4 keys
- Energy67th of 1653/3 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 97th of 1834/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge139th of 1982/4 keys
- Mobility & Tradejoint 126th of 1773/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 150th of 1944/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties162nd of 1984/4 keys
- Digital & Technology165th of 1984/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital165th of 1963/3 keys
- Peace & Security150th of 1774/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation165th of 1764/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing189th of 2003/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience186th of 1934/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture178th of 1844/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality159th of 1593/3 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on education & knowledge
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Mozambique can most readily be measured against.
1
United Arab EmiratesWestern Asia
1st of 198 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
GreeceSouthern Europe
2nd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
PolandEastern Europe
3rd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich) · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest placed on all 4 keys
Moldova7th4/4 keysHighest in Africa
Tunisia=48th3/4 keysHighest in Eastern Africa
Mauritius=61st4/4 keysThis page
Mozambique139th2/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Mozambique on education & knowledge: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Mozambique rank on education & knowledge?
Mozambique is placed 139th of 198 countries on Education & Knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics (Out-of-School Rate, Primary and Upper Secondary Completion Rate). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Out-of-School Rate, Primary figure for Mozambique?
1 in 2024 (out-of-school rate, primary age (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 3.691.
What is the latest Upper Secondary Completion Rate figure for Mozambique?
8.65 in 2025 (upper secondary completion rate (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 64.87.
How does Mozambique compare with Tanzania on education & knowledge?
Tanzania is placed 169th of 198, and Mozambique 139th. Out-of-School Rate, Primary: Tanzania 16.37, Mozambique 1; Upper Secondary Completion Rate: Tanzania 8.67, Mozambique 8.65.
How have Mozambique’s education & knowledge figures changed?
Out-of-School Rate, Primary fell from 45.18 in 2000 to 1 in 2022; Upper Secondary Completion Rate rose from 2.86 in 2000 to 8.65 in 2025; Government Spending on Education rose from 3.198 in 2004 to 5.976 in 2022.
Which education & knowledge statistics are missing for Mozambique?
No current reading is published for Mozambique on Bachelor's or Higher Attainment, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Government Funding per Primary Student, Government Spending on Education, Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Learning Poverty, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary Age, Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate, Primary Schools with Electricity, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary, Qualified Teachers in Primary Education, Research and Development Spending, School Life Expectancy, Secondary School Enrolment, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes, Tertiary Enrolment Ratio, Trust in Scientists and Upper Secondary Attainment. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
How much children actually learn is only partly covered. International test scores exist for a limited group of countries, and they are published here as context rather than used as a key, because a key must describe most of the world. Universities, research, and youth and adult literacy also appear as context.
How the Education & Knowledge standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The education & knowledge method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Out-of-School Rate, Primary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Upper Secondary Completion Rate — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Spending on Education — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
The other 16 statistics on this page come from 5 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Mozambique’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Mozambique (banner) — Stig Nygaard derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 2.0
- United Arab Emirates — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greece — User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Poland — Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich), CC BY 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Mozambique: Education & Knowledge — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/mozambique/education