Global Market Overview 2026
£995.00
The latest data and intelligence on the global international schools market. Includes schools, students, teaching staff and fee income by region and country. Also covers curricula, fees, school groups, regulation, recruitment and the financial landscape, plus the outlook for the market. Data as of 1 July 2026.
Full description
Growth is no longer the whole story.
The Global Market Overview 2026 shows where the international schools market is expanding, where it is consolidating and what is driving the difference between them.
Current market snapshot
Growth in context
2021–22 to 2025–26
School numbers grew by 5.0%. Fee income grew by 29.0%.
The market is still growing, but not evenly. Understanding where value is building, and why, now matters more than the headline totals.
What the report shows
Divergence
There is no longer one global story. Some markets are expanding quickly, many are consolidating and a small number of established markets are beginning to contract. The report breaks down schools, students, teaching staff and fee income by subregion and by country, with market spotlights on Brazil, Italy, Poland, Thailand and Vietnam.
Forces outside education
Geopolitics, immigration policy, regulation and the rising cost of moving people are shaping where families relocate and where teachers can work. The report examines how these pressures are affecting recruitment, school operations and investment decisions.
A changed customer base
Local families are driving demand across a growing number of markets. Meanwhile, expatriate enrolment is more closely tied to specific corporate, diplomatic and economic movements. Falling birth rates are reducing early years and primary enrolment in parts of Europe and Latin America, while demand at secondary level remains stronger.
Inside the report
- Market data by region, subregion and country: schools, students, teaching staff and fee income
- Curricula, examinations and fee levels by region
- School groups, accreditation bodies, associations and independent school brands
- Education technology and AI, wellbeing, and teacher recruitment and retention
- The financial landscape of international schools: ownership, investment and property models
- Geopolitics and regulation
- A dedicated overview of Australia’s independent school sector
- Recently opened schools, the future school pipeline and the outlook for the market
Who it’s for
- Education suppliers: to prioritise markets and understand where demand is building.
- School groups and operators: to inform expansion, acquisition and planning decisions.
- Investors: to assess market depth, fee sensitivity and operating conditions.
- Universities and sector organisations: to understand the schools that shape student pathways.
The groups shaping the market
The International Schools Groups Report looks inside the organisations behind a growing share of international schools: how they’re structured, where decisions are made and how they grow.
Buy both reports for £1,690 and save £300.
Why ISC Research
ISC Research has tracked the international schools market for decades. Our field research teams, with expertise in the Americas, Europe and Asia (including the Middle East), survey schools throughout each academic year. We also draw on a network of contacts in every key region. The Global Market Overview combines that data with direct insight from school leaders.
