On average, the cost of educating a child aged 6 to 15 amounts to approximately €104,000 across member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). However, Luxembourg surpasses this average, allocating over €140,000 per pupil.
One significant factor contributing to this higher expenditure is the generous compensation offered to teaching staff, positioning Luxembourg at the forefront of OECD countries in terms of teacher salaries by quite some distance. Additionally, Luxembourg boasts a relatively high teacher-to-pupil ratio.
Notably, Luxembourg and the Netherlands lead in the number of young individuals aged 18 to 24 pursuing vocational training, which plays a pivotal role in determining future earnings, especially in Luxembourg, when compared to those without secondary education.
The Grand Duchy is also among the countries with the highest number of students required to repeat years in school, highlighting the challenge of ensuring that a maximum number of students can obtain secondary school diplomas. In Luxembourg, less than half of apprenticeship students graduate within the standard time-frame, but this rate improves significantly after two additional years, reaching 70%.
Furthermore, Luxembourg stands out within the OECD for the high proportion of university graduates holding degrees in business or law, accounting for 40% of the total, compared to about a quarter for the OECD average.
Finally, while OECD countries, on average, allocate slightly over a quarter of their education expenditure to university education, Luxembourg devotes only 14% to this sector due to a substantial number of Luxembourg residents pursuing higher education abroad.
