“`html

By Greg Hart, Coursera CEO

I’m thrilled to announce the seventh edition of Coursera’s annual Global Skills Report, providing extensive insights into the skill requirements that are shaping the future of work. Utilizing data from our community of over 170 million learners, this year’s report highlights areas where skill proficiency is advancing globally, identifies existing gaps, and explores motivations behind learner behaviors in over 100 countries.

Generative AI (GenAI) has swiftly attracted substantial investment and acceptance within the industry. Trends seen on Coursera reflect this growth, with GenAI enrollments skyrocketing by 195% year-over-year and exceeding 8 million in total. In 2025, Coursera’s 700 GenAI courses have recorded an average of 12 enrollments per minute—a remarkable rise from just 1 per minute in 2023 and 8 in 2024—making GenAI the fastest expanding skill category on Coursera. India now leads with the highest number of GenAI course enrollments, totaling over 1.3 million in 2024.

I’m especially motivated by how online education is leveling the playing field for millions of learners in emerging markets, particularly in vibrant fields such as GenAI. In the past year, GenAI enrollments have doubled across the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Latin America has witnessed a 425% spike in GenAI enrollments, the highest of any region.

The skill proficiency rankings for this year are derived from a robust methodology that integrates Coursera learner data with credible external factors, including World Bank metrics such as the Human Capital Index and Labour Force Participation data. The inclusion of this significant third-party economic data allows us to validate our internal scores with external indicators, providing a more comprehensive perspective on learner skill application in the economy.

Key Discoveries:

• In our global skills rankings, European countries dominate nine of the top ten positions. Switzerland maintains its lead in the rankings, followed closely by the Netherlands in 2nd place, and Sweden in 3rd.
  • Singapore (4th) ranks as the premier skills hub in APAC. Hong Kong (13th), South Korea (14th), and Japan (17th) also secure top-20 placements.
  • Conversely, key Anglophone nations, including the United Kingdom (22nd), Australia (23rd), and the United States (27th), rank lower.
  • Peru (45th) is the highest-ranked nation in Latin America, with Uruguay (49th) also in the top 50. Learners from this region have identified cybersecurity as a significant global skills deficiency, with enrollments in this area from LATAM learners increasing by 129% year-over-year (YOY).
  • The United Arab Emirates (38th) stands as the leader in MENA skills, closely followed by Qatar (40th). GenAI enrollments surged 344% in the UAE and 165% in Saudi Arabia YOY, with learner trends aligning with substantial region-wide investments in AI and digital technologies.
• Micro-credentials enhance learner job prospects, highlighting essential skills to employers. Global learners are responding.
  • Coursera learner patterns reflect increasing employer interest in candidates with micro-credentials, indicated by a rise in Professional Certificate enrollments across all regions.
  • We have now recorded over 15.4 million enrollments in our Entry-Level Professional Certificates portfolio, which includes a 37% growth in North America—the highest of any area—and 36% in the Middle East and North Africa over the past year.
• Cybersecurity enrollments grow swiftly but still fall short of global workforce requirements.
  • Cybersecurity enrollments on Coursera increased in 2025—up 106% in Latin America, 20% in Europe, and 14% in Asia Pacific YOY.
  • However, nearly five million more cybersecurity professionals are needed globally, and fewer than half of organizations believe they are “highly prepared” to combat AI-driven cyber threats.
• Women’s involvement in online education is rising, but gender disparities in GenAI remain
  • Females now represent 46% of Coursera’s global learner population, with certain countries showing gender balance or higher.
  • For instance, 56% of learners in Kazakhstan on Coursera are women, and women make up 43% of the country’s learners in GenAI courses. Nonetheless, the global average for the female representation in GenAI course enrollments on Coursera is still just 32%.
  • Offering flexible credentials, confidence-boosting resources, and showcasing more female role models are critical to fostering inclusive AI-driven growth worldwide.

To enhance the assessment of global AI readiness, we’ve launched an AI Maturity Index, which complements our country rankings for proficiency in business, technology, and data skills. This Index merges learner data with metrics from the International Monetary Fund and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to rank countries worldwide based on AI research and innovation. Global leaders can leverage it to identify AI educational hotspots, grasp regional advancements, and locate AI talent hubs.

Countries topping our new AI Maturity Index—which showcases nations best prepared to leverage AI innovation and transform skills into practical applications—include Singapore (#1), Denmark (#2), Switzerland (#3), the United States (#4), and Finland (#5). European nations continue to excel in this index, securing 8 of the top 10 positions.

The Coursera Global Skills Report 2025 serves as a clear call to action—whether you are influencing national educational policies, designing corporate learning programs, or aligning academic curricula with real-world requisites. Coursera is dedicated to collaborating with leaders across various regions and industries to foster a more inclusive and promising future for workers globally.

The article Presenting Coursera’s 2025 Global Skills Report: the skills trends shaping the future of education and employment was first published on Coursera Blog.

“`