Trends in reading teacher shortage: Using 20 years of evidence from PIRLS

Teacher shortages have emerged as a critical global issue, directly impacting international efforts to ensure equitable access to quality education. This study provides a comprehensive, longitudinal analysis of reading teacher shortages using data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) spanning 2001 to 2021. Drawing on principal-reported data across five survey cycles, we investigate trends in teacher shortages over two decades, their distribution across socioeconomic contexts, and disparities between rural and urban schools. Our findings reveal that, while global shortage rates have remained relatively stable, significant variation exists at the country level. This includes divergent trends in shortage rates and persistent inequalities in their distribution, particularly across schools serving low and high socioeconomic populations and those in rural versus urban areas. These results underscore the critical need for country-specific, policy-driven interventions to address teacher shortages and mitigate inequalities. Furthermore, the study identifies countries that have successfully reduced shortages or inequalities, offering a foundation for future research to examine effective policy frameworks. By highlighting the complexities of teacher shortages at global, national, and contextual levels, this study advances the discourse on education equity and contributes actionable insights for addressing this pressing issue. • First 20-year cross-national analysis of reading teacher shortages (2001–2021). • Persistent SES and rural–urban inequalities in teacher shortages across countries. • Flags countries cutting shortages or gaps, highlighting effective policies.