Paris, 17 March 2026 — UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report team has released a special thematic report on the global teacher workforce, finding that current trends point towards a deficit of 44 million primary and secondary teachers by 2030 — a shortfall that, if unaddressed, will render the goal of universal quality education unattainable.

Regional Distribution of the Deficit

The deficit is profoundly unequal in its geographic distribution. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for approximately 17 million of the projected shortfall, driven by rapid population growth in school-age cohorts, high teacher attrition, and historically low rates of education sector investment. South Asia faces a deficit of approximately 11 million teachers, concentrated in rural and remote communities where the teaching profession is considered economically and socially unattractive.

By contrast, high-income countries face a different teacher challenge: an ageing teacher workforce, with retirement-driven departures accelerating across OECD member countries, combined with declining enrolment in teacher education programmes.

Root Causes

The report identifies three interrelated structural causes:

1. Compensation and Status: In low- and middle-income countries, teachers are systematically underpaid relative to comparably educated professionals. UNESCO documents a global median teacher wage penalty — the salary gap between teachers and non-teaching tertiary-educated workers — of 22 per cent. 2. Working Conditions: Overcrowded classrooms, inadequate learning materials, insufficient professional support, and poor physical school infrastructure deter qualified graduates from entering or remaining in the profession. 3. Training System Gaps: Many countries lack sufficient pre-service training capacity, and in-service professional development is often irregularly delivered, poorly resourced, and not linked to career advancement.

Recommendations

The GEM Report recommends a global Teacher Compact under which governments commit to: increasing average teacher salaries by a minimum of 30 per cent in real terms by 2030; expanding pre-service teacher education capacity; implementing structured career ladders with merit-based advancement; and deploying technology to extend the reach of qualified teachers in underserved areas.