Global Funding Cuts to Education Threaten 6 Million More Children with Exclusion by 2026

The UN children's agency (UNICEF) has warned that global funding cuts to education could force an additional 6 million children out of school by the end of 2026. This alarming projection is a direct result of a 24% drop in official development assistance for education, from $13.4 billion in 2023 to $10.2 billion in the forecasted period. The decline would raise the number of out-of-school children worldwide from 272 million to 278 million, equivalent to the combined population of primary school students in Germany and Italy.

Key Takeaways:

• The decline in funding for education is projected to be $3.2 billion, a 24% drop from 2023.
• The three donor governments responsible for around 80% of the cuts have not been named.
• West and Central Africa are projected to be hardest hit, with 1.9 million children at risk of dropping out.
• The Middle East and North Africa could see 1.4 million more children out of school, with significant declines expected across other regions.
• 28 countries are likely to lose at least a quarter of the education aid they rely on to provide pre-primary, primary and secondary schooling.
• UNICEF urged donor and partner countries to act now to protect education by rebalancing funding to make it fairer and more effective, including allocating at least 50% to the least developed countries.
• UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized that every dollar cut from education puts a child's future on the line.

Statistics:

• 272 million: current number of out-of-school children worldwide
• 278 million: projected number of out-of-school children worldwide by 2026
• 24%: percentage drop in official development assistance for education
• $13.4 billion: official development assistance for education in 2023
• $10.2 billion: forecasted official development assistance for education
• $3.2 billion: projected decline in funding for education
• 6 million: additional children projected to be out of school by 2026
• 1.9 million: children at risk of dropping out in West and Central Africa
• 1.4 million: children at risk of dropping out in the Middle East and North Africa

Sources:

Jordan News Agency, 03 Sep 2025

UNICEF report, not explicitly dated