Afghanistan: 53% of School-Age Children Denied Formal Education Amid Taliban Restrictions

Afghanistan: 53% of School-Age Children Denied Formal Education Amid Taliban Restrictions
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More than half of Afghanistan’s school-age children are excluded from formal education, according to a joint report by UNICEF and UNESCO released on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The organisations warned that restrictions imposed by the Taliban on girls’ education, alongside poverty, population growth and the return of Afghan families from abroad, are deepening the country’s education crisis.

The report said the number of school-age children rose from 10.4 million in 2019 to 11.5 million in 2024, placing additional pressure on an already under-resourced education system. Meanwhile, university enrolment reached approximately 208,000 students in 2026, still less than half the 430,000 recorded in 2020.

UNICEF and UNESCO said restrictions on girls’ access to secondary and higher education remain a major obstacle to recovery, and urged Afghan authorities to lift the bans and guarantee equal educational opportunities for all children and young people.

The organisations warned that continued exclusion from education could deprive another generation of essential opportunities and undermine Afghanistan’s long-term development and stability.