UNICEF Warns Education Funding Cuts Could Affect Millions of Children Globally
A new analysis by UNICEF warns that a sharp decline in international aid for education could leave millions more children out of school.
The report projects that by the end of 2026, 6 million more children could be out of school due to a 24% drop, or $3.2 billion, in official development assistance (ODA) for education compared to 2023, Reliefweb.int revealed. This would raise the total number of out-of-school children worldwide from 272 million to 278 million, which is the equivalent of emptying every primary school in Germany and Italy combined.
The cuts, for which just three donor governments account for nearly 80% of the total, will hit vulnerable regions the hardest. West and Central Africa could see 1.9 million children lose access to school, while the Middle East and North Africa could see an additional 1.4 million children pushed out. Over two dozen countries are projected to lose at least a quarter of the education aid they rely on. Among the most affected are Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, which risk a 4% decline in enrollment.
The consequences extend beyond school access, affecting the quality of education for those who remain in school. With reduced support for system strengthening, such as curriculum and teacher development, at least 290 million students could experience a decline in the quality of their education. Essential services are also under threat, with school feeding programs—which for some children are their only reliable meal of the day—potentially seeing their funding halved. Support for girls’ education is also expected to decline significantly, threatening to reverse progress in gender parity.
In humanitarian settings, where education often serves as a lifeline for children, the cuts could be particularly devastating. The analysis projects a 24% drop in aid for education in emergencies, which could lead to a loss of aid equivalent to over 10% of public education budgets in crisis-affected countries like the Central African Republic, Haiti, and Somalia.
