Over 272 Million Children Out of School Across World, Says UNESCO Report

The report cautions that many countries are likely to miss their 2025 national education targets for 75 million students, signalling that global efforts toward achieving universal education are seriously off course, details below.

A new report from UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring team reveals that more than 272 million children worldwide are currently out of school—an increase of over 21 million compared to earlier estimates. This rise is attributed to updated enrolment figures, revised population projections, and challenges such as the continued ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan. The report cautions that many countries are likely to miss their 2025 national education targets for 75 million students, signalling that global efforts toward achieving universal education are seriously off course

The increase in out-of-school children is mainly due to two key factors. Firstly, updated enrolment and attendance data—including the 2021 ban on school education for Afghan girls—contribute to around eight million of the rise. Secondly, revised UN population projections have added another 13 million, driven by a larger-than-expected school-age population, particularly among children aged 6 to 17, projected for 2025.

According to the GEM team, the type of data source used plays a crucial role in shaping the estimates. In countries relying only on administrative records, population growth is entirely reflected in the out-of-school numbers—especially where recent data is unavailable.

In contrast, countries that use survey-based data tend to show a more balanced distribution of the increased population between students who are enrolled and those who are not.

According to the latest estimates:

1. 11% of primary school age children (around 78 million) are out of school
2. 15% of lower secondary age adolescents (approximately 64 million) are not attending school
3. 31% of upper secondary age youth (nearly 130 million) remain out of the education system globally

These estimates are derived from a model that integrates administrative records, household surveys, and census data to provide consistent global and regional education trends. However, the report points out that national statistics may vary, as they often rely on a single data source from a specific year, whereas the model fills in data gaps for missing years and offers short-term projections.

One key concern highlighted is the underestimated impact of conflict on education. In crisis-affected areas, education data is frequently outdated or unavailable, making it difficult to fully grasp the extent of disruption. The model's assumption of continuous educational progress becomes a major limitation in such emergency contexts.

While projections indicate that the number of out-of-school children worldwide could decrease by 165 million by 2030 if countries achieve their Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) targets, the report warns of a possible four to six percentage point shortfall by 2025—particularly among primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary school-age groups.

UNESCO urges the development of more resilient education data systems and calls for urgent policy interventions to tackle the worsening education crisis, especially in conflict zones and under-resourced regions.