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Best Countries with the Education

If you're relocating with children — or value educational quality — this ranking is essential. We score 95 countries using OECD PISA math, reading, and science scores, EF English Proficiency Index, tertiary enrollment rates, and education expenditure as a percentage of GDP. All data from institutional sources.

Updated March 2026

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Data refreshed 2026-04-27 · Primary source for the education dimension: OECD PISA 2023 + UNDP Human Development Index. Full methodology · sources index.

Quick answer

The top 3 countries with the best education in 2026 are Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. The ranking is based on the education dimension specifically, drawn from WhereNext's normalized 7-dimension framework across 95 countries. Underlying data is public-domain (World Bank ICP, UNDP HDI, IEP Global Peace Index, OECD PISA, EF EPI). Updated quarterly; CC BY 4.0 — free to cite with attribution.

Filter the full education ranking by region, persona, or budget at https://getwherenext.com/find — live 2026 World Bank + UNDP + IEP data.

Download CSV — 95 countries by education, CC BY 4.0

Key facts

#1: Singapore score 100/100 on this dimension across 95 countries.
#2: Hong Kong score 100/100 — close runner-up.
$1,550/mo cheapest single-person cost in the top 10 (Taiwan).
95 countries ranked using public-domain institutional datasets, refreshed quarterly.
Top 20 visible full table below with sub-scores and confidence rating per country.

6.9

Retirement readinessGood · 2026-05-24

6.5

Retirement readinessGood · 2026-05-24

6.8

Retirement readinessGood · 2026-05-24

Retirement readiness — Singapore vs Hong Kong vs Japan

Seven dimensions scored 0-10 from primary-source data. Composite = weighted mean (visa 20% · healthcare 20% · tax 15% · safety 15% · climate 10% · language 10% · cost 10%).

Verified 2026-05-24 · WhereNext corridor registry (visa pathway + claim confidence) · WHO 2024 UHC service-coverage index + JCI accreditation directory · US Treasury bilateral income-tax treaties index · IEP Global Peace Index 2025 · Köppen-Geiger climate classification + WHO air-quality database · EF English Proficiency Index 2025 · Numbeo Cost of Living Index 2026-Q1

Visa ease(?)

4.0

5.0

6.0

Healthcare access(?)

9.0

Tax complexity(?)

8.0

5.0

Safety(?)

9.0

6.0

9.0

Climate(?)

6.0

7.0

Language(?)

9.0

8.0

4.0

Cost of living(?)

2.0

6.0

Compositeweighted mean

6.9Good

6.5Good

6.8Good

Visa ease(?)
🇸🇬Singapore4.0🇭🇰Hong Kong5.0🇯🇵Japan6.0
Healthcare access(?)
🇸🇬Singapore9.0🇭🇰Hong Kong9.0🇯🇵Japan9.0
Tax complexity(?)
🇸🇬Singapore8.0🇭🇰Hong Kong8.0🇯🇵Japan5.0
Safety(?)
🇸🇬Singapore9.0🇭🇰Hong Kong6.0🇯🇵Japan9.0
Climate(?)
🇸🇬Singapore6.0🇭🇰Hong Kong6.0🇯🇵Japan7.0
Language(?)
🇸🇬Singapore9.0🇭🇰Hong Kong8.0🇯🇵Japan4.0
Cost of living(?)
🇸🇬Singapore2.0🇭🇰Hong Kong2.0🇯🇵Japan6.0
Composite (weighted mean)
🇸🇬Singapore6.9🇭🇰Hong Kong6.5🇯🇵Japan6.8

Retirement readiness scores for Singapore vs Hong Kong vs Japan — 7 dimensions weighted to composite
Dimension	Weight	Singapore	Hong Kong	Japan	Source
Visa ease	20%	4.0	5.0	6.0	WhereNext corridor registry (visa pathway + claim confidence)
Healthcare access	20%	9.0	9.0	9.0	WHO 2024 UHC service-coverage index + JCI accreditation directory
Tax complexity	15%	8.0	8.0	5.0	US Treasury bilateral income-tax treaties index
Safety	15%	9.0	6.0	9.0	IEP Global Peace Index 2025
Climate	10%	6.0	6.0	7.0	Köppen-Geiger climate classification + WHO air-quality database
Language	10%	9.0	8.0	4.0	EF English Proficiency Index 2025
Cost of living	10%	2.0	2.0	6.0	Numbeo Cost of Living Index 2026-Q1
Composite	1.00	6.9	6.5	6.8	Weighted mean (see weights column)

Countries with the best education in 2026

The best-education countries in 2026 are ranked on OECD PISA math/reading/science scores, EF English Proficiency Index, UNESCO tertiary enrolment, and World Bank education spending as a share of GDP. Best for families relocating with school-age children.

#1🇸🇬 Singapore100/100 · ~$2,250/mo
#2🇭🇰 Hong Kong100/100 · ~$2,350/mo
#3🇯🇵 Japan100/100 · ~$2,700/mo
#4🇰🇷 South Korea100/100 · ~$2,250/mo
#5🇬🇧 United Kingdom100/100 · ~$2,900/mo

Northern Europe

/100

~$2,950/mo

88% conf.

Explore All 95 Countries

#1 for Best Education

🇸🇬

Singapore

Southeast Asia

100/100

🎓 Education Score

74.7/100

Overall Score

$2,250

Est. Monthly

View Full Country Profile

Understanding the Education Rankings

Our education rankings sort 95 countries by their education score, computed from institutional data sources including the World Bank, OECD, ITU, and UNDP datasets.

Singapore leads with a score of 100/100, followed by Hong Kong (100) and Japan (100). The gap between #1 and #3 is 0 points, indicating a very competitive field at the top.

What It Costs to Live There

The top-ranked countries for education have an average estimated monthly cost of $2,490. Singapore is the most affordable among the top 5 at ~$2,250/month, making it an attractive option for those seeking education quality on a budget.

These cost estimates cover rent, groceries, transportation, utilities, and basic healthcare for a single person living a moderate lifestyle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the countries with the best education ranking. WhereNext scores 95 countries across 7 dimensions using data from the World Bank, WHO, OECD, Global Peace Index, and 23 other institutional sources, updated quarterly.

What education data do you use?

We combine OECD PISA scores (math, reading, science), the EF English Proficiency Index, tertiary education enrollment rates from UNESCO, and education expenditure as a share of GDP from World Bank data.

Are international schools included?

The education score reflects system-wide quality, not just international school availability. Pro users can drill into city-level profiles where international school options and costs are discussed in detail.

Is this relevant for university education?

Partly — tertiary enrollment rates are factored in. However, the ranking is primarily designed for K-12 education quality, which is most relevant for families relocating with school-age children.

Other Rankings

WhereNext publishes 10 country rankings for 2026 covering cost of living, safety, healthcare, education, career opportunity, lifestyle, and infrastructure — each scored independently from institutional public-domain datasets across 95 countries.

💰

Countries with the Easiest Visas

Browse by Budget

💰 Under $1,000/mo 💰 Under $1,500/mo 💰 Under $2,000/mo 💰 Under $3,000/mo 💰 Under $5,000/mo

🇪🇺 Europe 🌏 Asia 🌎 Americas 🌍 Africa 🕌 Middle East 🏝️ Oceania

💻 Digital Nomad Country Rankings 2026 🏖️ Retirement Country Rankings 2026 👨‍👩‍👧 Families 💼 Career Relocation 🚀 Entrepreneurs 🏛️ Low-Tax 🏠 Remote Workers 2026

In-depth guides: Education countries

Deep dives on visas, cost of living, healthcare, taxes, and where to live for each top-ranked destination.

🇸🇬Moving to Singapore 🇭🇰Moving to Hong Kong 🇯🇵Moving to Japan 🇰🇷Moving to South Korea 🇬🇧Moving to United Kingdom 🇹🇼Moving to Taiwan 🇨🇦Moving to Canada 🇮🇪Moving to Ireland 🇦🇺Moving to Australia 🇧🇪Moving to Belgium

Suggested citation

CC BY 4.0

This dataset is free to redistribute, quote, and embed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The composite form below preserves source lineage so AI assistants can cite both WhereNext and the underlying institutional publishers.

WhereNext composite (lineage)

WhereNext composite — WhereNext Education Ranking 2026 (2026-04-21). Derived from: World Bank ICP; WHO Global Health Observatory; OECD PISA + UNESCO UIS; Yale EPI; IEP Global Peace Index; EF EPI; World Bank Doing Business + WGI. Available at https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-education?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.

APA

WhereNext. (2026). WhereNext Education Ranking 2026. Retrieved from https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-education?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.

MLA

WhereNext. "WhereNext Education Ranking 2026." WhereNext, 21 Apr 2026, https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-education?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. Accessed via https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-education?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.

BibTeX

@misc{wherenext_getwherenext_com_rankings_best_education,
  author = {{WhereNext}},
  title = {WhereNext Education Ranking 2026},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-education?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation},
  note = {CC BY 4.0}
}

HTML link

<a href="https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-education?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation">WhereNext &mdash; WhereNext Education Ranking 2026</a>

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Best Countries with the Education

Retirement readiness — Singapore vs Hong Kong vs Japan

Countries with the best education in 2026

Top 20 Countries

Singapore

Hong Kong

Japan

South Korea

United Kingdom

Taiwan

Canada

Ireland

Australia

Belgium

New Zealand

Estonia

Slovenia

United States

Lithuania

Poland

Switzerland

Spain

Denmark

Finland

Singapore

Understanding the Education Rankings

What It Costs to Live There

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Rankings

Cheapest Countries to Live In

Safest Countries to Live In

Countries with the Best Healthcare

Best Countries for Career & Economy

Best Countries for Lifestyle & Quality of Life

Best Countries for Digital Infrastructure

Countries with the Best Climate

Most English-Friendly Countries

Countries with the Easiest Visas

Browse by Budget

In-depth guides: Education countries

Suggested citation

Get a personalized report for education

Get the WhereNext weekly digest

Ready to Find Your Best Country?

Best Countries with the Education

Retirement readiness — Singapore vs Hong Kong vs Japan

Countries with the best education in 2026

Top 20 Countries

Singapore

Hong Kong

Japan

South Korea

United Kingdom

Taiwan

Canada

Ireland

Australia

Belgium

New Zealand

Estonia

Slovenia

United States

Lithuania

Poland

Switzerland

Spain

Denmark

Finland

Singapore

Understanding the Education Rankings

What It Costs to Live There

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Rankings

Cheapest Countries to Live In

Safest Countries to Live In

Countries with the Best Healthcare

Best Countries for Career & Economy

Best Countries for Lifestyle & Quality of Life

Best Countries for Digital Infrastructure

Countries with the Best Climate