Global Education Crisis Grows
Global Report Reveals 258 Million Children Face Education Crises, Threatening a Generation
A new United Nations report reveals that 258 million school-aged children worldwide have their education disrupted by crises — an increase of 21 million in just 18 months, according to Education Cannot Wait. Of those, 93 million are entirely out of school, meaning no classroom, no teacher, no path forward.
The report, called "Breaking Barriers: Understanding Educational Exclusion in Crises," warns that learning losses are threatening an entire generation. Nearly 80% of all out-of-school crisis-affected children live in just 20 countries, Education Cannot Wait found.
How Conflict, Climate and Displacement Drive the Crisis
Experts point to three overlapping threats pushing children out of school. Armed conflicts in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine have destroyed schools and displaced millions. Climate disasters like floods and droughts physically block children from attending class. And record levels of forced displacement leave children stuck in host countries with no access to formal schooling.
Nearly 1.1 billion children are now exposed to three or more climate hazards at once, according to UNICEF. Girls face the heaviest burden. In conflict zones, girls are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than boys — threatening decades of hard-won progress on gender equality.
93 Million Children Shut Out — 20 Countries Hold the Key
The report identifies Sudan, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Nigeria, and South Sudan as the hardest-hit countries, according to Education Cannot Wait. These nations account for a disproportionate share of the 93 million children who are fully out of school.
Experts at the Global Education Monitoring Report warn the crisis is no longer just about getting children into school. Even children who are in class are falling behind. Learning gaps are widening early, then turning into dropout crises by adolescence. The cost of inaction is staggering — UNICEF estimates the generation could lose $164 billion in lifetime earnings if foundational skills are not recovered.
A $100 Billion Gap While Military Spending Tops $2 Trillion
Education aid fell sharply in 2024 — the steepest drop since the 1990s — leaving a $100 billion annual financing gap for global education goals, according to Global Affairs Canada. Meanwhile, global military spending now exceeds $2 trillion a year. ECW Executive Director Yasmine Sherif has noted the contrast bluntly, saying the world "invests more in bombs than in schools."
Sherif frames the funding shortfall as a risk to everyone, not just the children left behind. "Support for education in crises is the insurance policy families, governments and donors need to protect their long-term investments in education and economic opportunity," she said, according to Education Cannot Wait. Failure to act, experts warn, increases the risk of children being recruited into armed groups and criminal networks.
ECW Has Reached 14 Million Kids — and Plans to Reach 10 Million More
Since its founding at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit, ECW and its partners have reached more than 14 million crisis-affected children. The fund's current Strategic Plan aims to reach an additional 10 million girls and boys living in the world's most severe crises, according to Education Cannot Wait.
Donors pledged $826 million at a High-Level Financing Conference in Geneva in March 2023. But with 258 million children still affected and the number rising fast, advocates say the funding model must scale dramatically. A global webinar to discuss the "Breaking Barriers" findings and next steps is scheduled for June 25, 2026.
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