The UNESCO has raised fresh concern over the state of global education, revealing that about 273 million children and young people are currently out of school.
The figure, contained in its 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report, marks the seventh consecutive year of rising out-of-school numbers, signalling a worrying global trend.
According to the report, one in six school-age children worldwide is excluded from education, while only about two-thirds complete secondary school.
UNESCO noted that progress has slowed significantly across most regions since 2015, with conflict and population growth identified as major drivers. The situation is particularly severe in Sub-Saharan Africa, while children in conflict zones remain the most vulnerable, with actual figures likely higher than reported.
Despite these challenges, the report highlights notable progress recorded over the past two decades. Global school enrolment reached 1.4 billion in 2024, representing an increase of 327 million learners, or 30 per cent, in primary and secondary education since 2000. Enrolment also rose by 45 per cent in pre-primary education and surged by 161 per cent at the post-secondary level.
This growth translates to more than 25 additional children gaining access to education every minute over the past two decades.
The report further documents encouraging success stories across several countries. Nations such as Madagascar and Togo have reduced out-of-school rates among children by at least 80 per cent since 2000, while Morocco and Viet Nam recorded similar progress among adolescents. Among youth populations, Georgia and Türkiye have also achieved significant reductions.
In the same period, Côte d’Ivoire cut its out-of-school rates by half across all age groups, demonstrating that sustained policy efforts can yield meaningful results.
While these gains offer hope, UNESCO stressed that urgent and coordinated global action is needed to reverse current setbacks and ensure that millions of children are not left behind in accessing quality education.
