A new report shows that only 15.5% of Brazilian youth completed high school at the correct age or with one year delay and minimum knowledge in Portuguese and math in 2023. The Education Inclusion Index (IIE), released on October 30, highlights that the pandemic halted an improving trend without subsequent recovery. Despite progress in access to education, learning outcomes remain lagging.
Brazil has expanded access to education over recent decades, but progress in learning has not kept pace, according to national and international assessments. The Education Inclusion Index (IIE), developed by the organization Metas Sociais at the request of Instituto Natura, combines data from the Basic Education Assessment System (Saeb), School Census, and Continuous National Household Sample Survey (Pnad) to measure age-grade distortion alongside learning levels.
Released on October 30, 2025, the 2023 IIE records only 15.5% of youth graduating from high school at age 17 or with one year delay, showing minimum desirable knowledge in Portuguese and mathematics. This indicates that over 80% do not complete the cycle on time with adequate proficiency. Measured every two years, the index rose from 9.5% in 2015 to 13.5% in 2017 and 18.9% in 2019, but dropped to 17% in 2021 due to the pandemic, with no recovery by 2023.
Significant regional disparities exist across the 26 states and the Federal District. The worst performances are in the North: Amapá at 5.6%, Amazonas and Roraima at 6.6% (tied with Maranhão), and Pará at 6.9%. At the top are Paraná (20.4%), Espírito Santo (19.5%), Goiás (19%), São Paulo (18.6%), and Ceará (18.1%).
Low learning levels promote age-grade distortion through repetitions, leading to school dropout, the main issue in high school. This cycle of educational precariousness hinders further studies, access to skilled jobs, and better pay, limiting individual talents and the country's economic growth.
To reverse the situation, intervention is essential at the fundamental level with reinforcement classes for lagging students. Expanding the full-time education model, which improves indicators, should cover both stages of basic education. The high school reform, which increases hours in mandatory subjects like Portuguese and mathematics, adapts the curriculum to student interests, and includes technical teaching, can reduce dropout and boost learning. Thus, rising enrollments may finally yield quality education.