Through international comparisons, countries may come to recognize weaknesses in their own systems while identifying strengths that might otherwise be overlooked. The 36 indicators included are the product of an ongoing process of conceptual development and data collection and represent the consensus of professional thinking on how to measure the current state of education internationally. A unique aspect of the 1998 edition is the inclusion of data from 14 non-member OECD countries, most of which was acquired via the World Education Indicators program, which captures a wide-range of data to complement that of the 29 member OECD countries. This important addition extends the coverage of some of the indicators to nearly two-thirds of the world population. The indicators are grouped into the following categories: (1) demographic, social, and economic context of education; (2) financial and human resources invested in education; (3) access to education, participation, and progression; (4) the transition from school to work; (5) the learning environment and the organization of schools; and (6) student achievement and the social and labor market outcomes of education. Three annexes and a glossary present information on average duration and typical ages, basic reference statistics, sources, methodology and technical notes, and definitions. For this report, more than one-third of the indicators have been devoted to the individual, social, and labor market outcomes of education in order to respond to increasing public and government concern over these outcomes; specifically, of the labor market outcomes of education, more details regarding the relationship between education and earnings have been included in this edition than in previous editions. (Contains 114 charts and 102 tables.) (LMD)