UIL publishes GRALE 5 data, providing further insight into adult education worldwide

Survey data compiled for the fifth Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE 5), which was published by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in June 2022 during the Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII) in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco, are now available online. 

GRALE monitors the extent to which UNESCO Member States put their international commitments regarding adult learning and education (ALE) into practice. The reports combine survey data, policy analysis and case studies to provide policy-makers and practitioners with sound recommendations and examples of good practice. They present strong evidence on how ALE can help countries address current and future challenges, including those targeted by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Five GRALE reports have been published since 2009. 

The most recent report, GRALE 5, provides an up-to-date assessment of the state of ALE in UNESCO Member States as well as a thematic chapter on citizenship education, including global citizenship education, its importance for sustainable development, and recommendations for developing ALE and promoting active and global citizenship.  

GRALE 5 reveals that, while there is progress in ALE opportunities around the world – notably in the participation of women – many people continue to be deprived of access to learning. This includes the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups who could benefit most from adult education, such as Indigenous learners, rural populations, refugees and migrants, older citizens, people with disabilities, and prisoners. 

Underpinning the findings and recommendations in GRALE 5 is the self-reported quantitative and qualitative survey data collected from UNESCO Member States in 2020 through a combination of closed- and open-ended questions. The survey tool has been developed over five cycles and is administered by UIL in consultation with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), with input from experts and external partners in the field. It was conducted using the open-source online statistical survey software LimeSurvey.  

Responses to GRALE surveys help to develop a global picture of ALE across regions and over time. A total of 159 UNESCO Member States and Associate Members responded to the GRALE 5 survey, which included questions regarding the effect COVID-19 had on national adult learning systems. The recently published datasets can now be used for further analysis or insights into specific national contexts by researchers and other stakeholders working in the field of adult learning and education.  

Access and download the full dataset. 

Download the fifth Global Report on Adult Learning and Education.

Download the summary of the fifth Global Report on Adult Learning and Education.