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The number of children and young people out of school worldwide has risen to 273 million, the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has reported.
According to UNESCO’s 2026 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report, this marks the seventh consecutive year of increases in out-of-school rates. The report finds that one in six school-age children is excluded from education, and only two in three complete secondary school. Progress has slowed across most regions since 2015, with conflict and population growth cited as major contributing factors.
“Progress in keeping children in school has slowed across almost every region,” the report notes, highlighting sub-Saharan Africa as particularly affected. In conflict zones, the challenge is even more acute, with millions of children out of school beyond what official figures capture.
Despite these setbacks, UNESCO pointed to significant gains over the past two decades. Global enrolment has surged, with “more than 25 additional children accessing school every minute” since 2000. Some countries have made remarkable progress, reducing out-of-school rates and expanding access at all levels of education.
However, the report cautions that no single policy can address the complex problem of educational exclusion.
