Teacher shortages are straining education systems across the OECD, with recruitment problems worst in mathematics and science, a new OECD report says.

Education at a Glance 2026 finds that 9% of primary and secondary teachers were not fully qualified in 2024/25. The figure topped 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany, while Japan and Korea require full qualifications. The report is the OECD’s annual compendium of comparable education statistics worldwide. This year’s edition focuses specifically on teacher shortages.

Eleven of 16 countries with data reported shortages of qualified secondary-level maths and science teachers. One in four secondary teachers is aged 55 or older, adding to future hiring pressure.

Teachers earn 87% to 95% of what other tertiary-educated workers make, the OECD said. Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said it is getting harder to recruit, retain and deploy teachers where they are most needed.

What happens next: the report urges systems to plan ahead, retain staff and grow the talent pipeline while maintaining standards.