More than fifty percent of respondents to the most recent Statista Consumer Insights survey in Brazil, Mexico and South Africa said that education presents a challenge for their country of residence, with the former ranking first with 62 percent. Although the survey only covered 21 countries, the differences between the top and bottom three are significant, with the average respondent share for all countries at 37 percent.
The survey, which polled between 8,000 and 60,000 residents per country and was weighted according to relevant demographical indicators like regional distribution, age and sex to ensure higher representativeness, shows Switzerland (21 percent), Japan (22 percent) and South Korea (24 percent) as the countries with the lowest participant share worried about education.
Despite the low concern exhibited by respondents in these countries, Japan and South Korea, in particular, are known for putting students under a high amount of stress, especially concerning college entrance exams. This can lead to anxiety, depression, or worse: Deaths by suicide among students stood at 512 in 2022, the highest number of cases per year since 1980, according to Kyodo News Agency. TIME Magazine reports that in South Korea, the country with the highest suicide rate among all OECD countries in 2020, the lack of funding and resources for prevention centers exacerbates the issue of rising suicide rates among younger and elderly citizens.
Looking at other major economies on the list, India, Germany, the United States, China and the United Kingdom had respondents shares of 45, 35, 33, 31 and 30 percent, respectively. So while perceived issues with education might stem from a lack thereof in lesser-developed nations, it is not the only factor contributing to the view that education poses a challenge for a specific country.
If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
