A postcode lottery in education? Explaining regional inequality in multilevel systems

Abstract Inequality is a challenge for societies around the globe. In addition to its socio‐economic and political dimensions, inequality also has a territorial dimension. Focusing on educational inequality across regions, this article explores factors that shape regional differences in student enrolment and educational attainment in 14 OECD countries. The findings of the article suggest that a strong level of regional authority over education increases regional inequality in education. Further factors are regional differences in education expenditures and variation in the population size of regions. Low regional inequality in education seems to be explained by a low degree of regional authority or low differences in education spending. By examining regional inequality in education, the article enhances our understanding of the way multilevel governance influences the quality of life within regions. In particular, it highlights the impact of decentralization on territorial inequality.