How Is the Global Talent Pool Changing? Education Indicators in Focus. No. 5

This paper describes how the global talent pool is changing. The expansion of higher education in rapidly-developing G20 nations has reduced the share of tertiary graduates from Europe, Japan and the United States in the global talent pool. If current trends continue, China and India will account for 40% of all young people with a tertiary education in G20 and OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries by the year 2020, while the United States and European Union countries will account for just over a quarter. The strong demand for employees in "knowledge economy" fields suggests that the global labour market can continue to absorb the increased supply of highly-educated individuals.