Online education in Latin America – statistics & facts

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic consequences, there has been close to no aspect in people’s daily lives left unchanged. Social distancing has become a norm, and with it the need of alternative ways of connection. In the area of education this has been particularly challenging. Since in person tutoring has been avoided in many parts of the world, teachers and students have been faced with the task of finding ways of enabling distance learning. As a region which already struggled with providing all children with enough resources for an optimal learning environment, in Latin America the situation has come with its own complexities. However, if there is a constant, it is that inequalities are present and circumstances are not the same for everyone, neither within, nor between countries. Nonetheless, in many countries, such as Mexico, the online education programs designed to stop the spread of the virus have been partially or completely eliminated in 2022.

Inequalities among inequalities

Differences on the use and access to online education vary widely in Latin America. The contrast can be observed in multiple areas. While disparities between countries can be expected, distinctions also emerge between educational levels, private and public sector, rural and urban areas, and unsurprisingly, socio-economical levels. Opposing realities can be recognized even in the level of disparities from one nation to another. While there is, for instance, a considerable gap in the share of desktop ownership when considering different quartiles for some Latin American countries, figures vary greatly both between nations, and within the population of a country. However, despite the discrepancies latent in the region, the use of online education tools is present in Latin America, and the number of users of learning apps such as Coursera, edX, or Kahn Academy amount to thousands in some countries.

Online education as a complementary tool during the pandemic

Though the use of online resources has shown to be a valuable alternative amidst the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments in Latin America have been faced with the challenge of having to limit face-to-face contact, while at the same time keeping education available in a system where a considerable part of the population has little to no access to internet or e-learning tools in 2023. However, given its convenience, online education has been the most chosen learning delivery system within the region during the pandemic, with most countries using a combination of open, commercial, and commercial-free platforms. Despite online learning being one of the most chosen tools, other distance learning tools have been implemented, from broadcasting of educational programs in radio and television, to contact by mobile phone and even offline resources. Overall, the use of online education in the COVID-19 pandemic has both highlighted educational inequalities in the region, and presented itself as a tool with the potential to assist in the demanding task of diminishing them.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Country with the largest share of households with internet access: Chile

Country with the highest internet penetration rate: Uruguay

Country with the highest household computer penetration rate: Argentina

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Share of students in schools with sufficient digital devices connected to the internet in selected countries in Latin America in 2018

Education & Science

Latin America: schools with sufficient connected devices 2018, by country

Ranking of the percentage of households having internet access in Latin America and the Caribbean by country 2020

Demographics & Use

Household internet penetration in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020, by country

Numbers of school years lost due to COVID-19 pandemic in Latin American countries in 2021

Education Level & Skills

Amount of academic years lost due to COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America 2021

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Overview

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Household internet penetration in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020, by country
Ranking of the percentage of households having internet access in Latin America and the Caribbean by country 2020
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Online education in schools

Premium Statistic Latin America: schools with sufficient connected devices 2018, by country
Latin America: schools with sufficient connected devices 2018, by country
Share of students in schools with sufficient digital devices connected to the internet in selected countries in Latin America in 2018
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Latin America: share of schools with sufficient internet bandwidth 2018, by country
Share of students in schools with sufficient internet bandwidth in selected countries in Latin America in 2018
Premium Statistic Latin America: share of schools with an online learning platform 2018, by country
Latin America: share of schools with an online learning platform 2018, by country
Share of students in schools with an available effective online learning support platform in selected countries in Latin America in 2018
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Latin America: schools with sufficient appropriate software 2018, by country
Share of students in schools with sufficient availability of appropriate software in selected countries in Latin America in 2018
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Latin America: schools with digitally skilled teachers 2018, by country
Share of students in schools with teachers having the necessary technical and pedagogical skills to integrate digital devices in instruction in selected countries in Latin America in 2018

Online education in universities

Basic Statistic Latin America: inclusion of digital technologies by university professors 2020
Latin America: inclusion of digital technologies by university professors 2020
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Internet speed in universities according to professors in Latin America in 2020
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Latin America: learning management systems in universities 2020
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Socio-economic differences

Basic Statistic Latin America: share of schools with sufficient internet speed 2018, by quintile
Latin America: share of schools with sufficient internet speed 2018, by quintile
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Latin America: pupils with a laptop at home 2018, by quartile
Share of 15 year-old students with a laptop at home in selected countries in Latin America in 2018, by quartile
Premium Statistic Latin America: pupils with a tablet at home 2018, by quartile
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Basic Statistic Latin America: share of pupils with internet at home in rural areas 2018, by country
Latin America: share of pupils with internet at home in rural areas 2018, by country
Share of students living in rural areas with internet access in their homes in selected countries in Latin America in 2018

Use of apps

Premium Statistic Latin America: number of Duolingo users on Android devices 2020, by country
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Number of monthly active users (MAU) of the Duolingo app on Android devices in selected countries in Latin America in 2020 (in 1,000s)
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Latin America: users of Khan Academy app on Android devices 2020, by country
Number of monthly active users (MAU) of the Khan Academy app on Android devices in selected countries in Latin America in 2020 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Latin America: number of Coursera app users on Android devices 2020, by country
Latin America: number of Coursera app users on Android devices 2020, by country
Number of monthly active users (MAU) of the Coursera app on Android devices in selected countries in Latin America in 2020 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Latin America: number of users of edX on Android devices 2020, by country
Latin America: number of users of edX on Android devices 2020, by country
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Latin America: downloads of Photomath on Android devices 2020, by country
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COVID-19 and online education

Premium Statistic Latin America: most used distance learning tools 2020, by type
Latin America: most used distance learning tools 2020, by type
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Latin America: media used for distance education during COVID-19 pandemic 2020
Distance education delivery systems used amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2020
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Latin America: online learning platforms use during COVID-19 pandemic 2020, by type
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Premium Statistic Latin America: distance learning platforms used by teachers 2020, by education level
Latin America: distance learning platforms used by teachers 2020, by education level
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Latin America: teachers trained for online platforms use 2020, by level
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