The OECD’s Education at a Glance 2026, released on 29 September 2026, puts teacher shortages at the centre of its analysis. On average, 9.1% of primary and secondary teachers are not fully qualified, and early-career staff account for 38% of resignations. For teacher educators and training providers, the report reads like a job description.
Key facts
- Non-fully qualified teachers make up 9.1% of primary and secondary teachers on average, and more than 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany.
- 6.4% of fully qualified teachers left the profession in 2024/25; teachers with under five years of experience made up 38% of those resignations.
- Eleven of 16 countries with data report shortages of fully qualified mathematics and science teachers.
- Second-career teachers are 8.4% of lower secondary teachers on average, and 16 of 28 systems have structured pathways for them.
How bad is the shortage, really?
Less dramatic than headlines suggest, and more stubborn. Official vacancies stay below 4% of teaching posts in every reporting country. Yet rates rose between 2017/18 and 2024/25 in most systems with trend data; Latvia’s tripled from 1.0% to 3.0%. Luxembourg was the only country to record a fall.
The OECD’s own framing is blunt. According to Archyde’s launch coverage, Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said: “Today, it is getting harder to recruit, retain and deploy qualified teachers where they are most needed.” The same coverage matches the OECD chapter on the main figures, including the 11-of-16 STEM count and the sub-4% vacancy level.
Two numbers deserve more attention than the vacancy rate. The share of teachers aged 55 and over rose from 20% in 2015 to 23% in 2024, and in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania about four in ten are now in that bracket. Greece went from 15% to 33%. Retirements, in other words, are already scheduled.
Where teachers leave fastest
| System | Attrition of fully qualified teachers, 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Denmark | 14.5% |
| Latvia | 12.0% |
| French Community of Belgium | 11.6% |
| Brazil | 10.3% |
| Finland | 9.1% |
| OECD average | 6.4% |
Early exits vary even more. The share of new teachers resigning ranges from under 1% in Korea and Luxembourg to 24% in Finland and 49% in the French Community of Belgium.
Why Education at a Glance 2026 is a training story
The figures are a training problem as much as a recruitment one. A teacher counted as “not fully qualified” is already teaching. Closing the gap means certificates, alternative routes or subject conversions delivered alongside a full timetable. Shares of such teachers rose in 17 of 25 countries with trend data. Someone has to teach them, assess them and record what they have finished.
Second-career entrants are the other half of the story. On average 8.4% of lower secondary teachers spent ten or more years in another job first, and the share exceeds 16% in Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Bulgaria and the United States. These are adult learners with professional histories. Treating them as 22-year-old trainees wastes what they bring.
Morale sets the limit. Only 22% of teachers feel their profession is valued in society, and 68% of lower secondary teachers are satisfied with their non-salary conditions against 39% for salary. Archyde’s summary adds that starting salaries for lower secondary teachers average 61% of earnings of similarly educated peers.
The report covers OECD members and partner economies including South Africa, which gives African ministries a comparable reference point for their own workforce planning.
What this means for educators and trainers
- Build modular routes. Teachers completing qualifications on the job need short, stackable units they can fit around a timetable. Universities and accredited providers should publish them as such.
- Recognise prior experience. A chemist or an engineer switching to teaching should not repeat content they already master. Assessment of prior learning shortens the route.
- Invest in the first five years. With 38% of resignations coming from new teachers, mentoring and induction are the cheapest retention policy available.
- Target STEM. Subject-conversion courses in mathematics and science answer the shortage that 11 of 16 countries report.
Earlier coverage: 269 Million Students Later, the University Is Still Deciding Who Gets In and Big Tech Invests Millions to Train Teachers on AI.
FAQ
When was Education at a Glance 2026 published?
The OECD launched it on 29 September 2026, with a special focus on teacher shortages.
What does “not fully qualified” mean?
Teachers who do not yet hold the full qualification required in their system; many are teaching while completing alternative or conversion routes. Japan and Korea report none because full qualification is required before entry.
Does the report cover African countries?
South Africa is among the partner economies covered, alongside OECD members and countries such as Brazil, China and India.
Sources: OECD, Education at a Glance 2026: teacher shortages chapter; OECD media advisory; OECD, full report; Archyde.
