Data on STEAM education in the region highlight significant gaps and emphasize the urgent need for this type of education. Latin America lags behind other regions in STEAM-related fields, resulting in limited technological advances, economic growth and innovation. For example, the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index reveals lower scores for Latin American countries in areas such as technological readiness and innovation compared to their global counterparts. In addition, UNESCO reports a shortage of qualified STEAM professionals in Latin America, with only 2.3% of the total employed population working in STEAM fields, well below the global average of 7%.

In addition to the gaps with other countries and regions, there are disparities within Latin American countries, showing that students from urban households learn more about STEAM-related fields than students in rural areas. Gaps are also evident among students from low-income households and students who are indigenous, African American or disabled.