Education Under Attack: Global Crisis Reaches 85 Million Out-of-School Children

Strategic Insights -

The international community has marked the United Nations International Day to Protect Education from Attack, but the global education crisis worsens. As of 2025, 85 million children are entirely out of school due to wars, armed conflict, and emergencies, a staggering rise from 72 million in 2023. Girls, children with disabilities, and forcibly displaced children are disproportionately affected, with 52% being girls, over 20% being children with disabilities, and 17% being forcibly displaced.

Key Takeaways:

  • As of 2025, 85 million children are out of school due to wars, armed conflict, and emergencies, a 13% increase from 72 million in 2023.
  • 52% of out-of-school children are girls, over 20% are children with disabilities (17 million), and approximately 17% (15 million) are forcibly displaced.
  • The deliberate targeting and disruption of education systems, from bombing schools to displacing families, are violating children's rights and inflicting enduring damage on societal stability.
  • Nearly half of all out-of-school children are found in five protracted crisis zones: Sudan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Pakistan.
  • The EAA Foundation has supported over 7 million out-of-school children affected by conflict across 25 countries.
  • The GCPEA reported 6,000 attacks on educational institutions worldwide in 2022-2023, a 20% increase from the previous two years, harming over 10,000 students, teachers, and academic staff.
  • The Trace Portal recorded over 11,000 attacks globally from 2020 to 2023, affecting over 19,000 learners and educators across 97 countries.

Statistics:

  • 85 million children are out of school as of 2025 due to wars, armed conflict, and emergencies.
  • The number of out-of-school children increased by 13% from 72 million in 2023 to 85 million in 2025.
  • 52% of out-of-school children are girls.
  • 17 million children with disabilities are out of school.
  • 15 million children are forcibly displaced.
  • 6,000 attacks on educational institutions occurred worldwide in 2022-2023, a 20% increase from the previous two years.
  • 11,000 attacks were recorded globally from 2020 to 2023, affecting over 19,000 learners and educators across 97 countries.

Sources:

  • Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, Press Release, "International Day to Protect Education from Attack".
  • Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), "Education Under Attack 2024" report.
  • Trace Portal, "Global Education Crisis".