Crises are disrupting education for 258 million children worldwide

Education Cannot Wait estimates that 258 million school-aged children and adolescents across 87 countries have had their education affected by crises. The figure is up by 21 million in 18 months, according to the organization’s June 23, 2026 report, while UNESCO’s July 2 summary compared it with an estimate of 234 million in 2025. The report says 93 million children are entirely out of school.

The estimate includes children who remain enrolled but are learning in disrupted, unsafe or unstable conditions. That distinction matters: the 258 million figure is not a count of children who have permanently left school.

Most of the out-of-school burden is concentrated

Education Cannot Wait says 182 million crisis-affected children live in the 20 most severe crisis contexts. Of those, 74 million are out of school—nearly 80% of all out-of-school crisis-affected children identified in the study.

The concentration may help governments and donors identify where emergency education resources are most urgently needed. It does not mean that 80% of all out-of-school children worldwide live in those 20 contexts. The comparison is limited to the crisis-affected children included in the Education Cannot Wait estimate.

Enrollment does not always mean learning

The report says many children remain connected to school while facing widening learning gaps, weak foundational skills, slower progression and a greater risk of dropping out later. Education Cannot Wait describes a pattern in which an early learning crisis can become an access crisis during adolescence.

Displaced children, refugees, children with disabilities and girls face disproportionately high barriers, according to the report. Displacement is associated with lower promotion rates, slower progression and greater educational disadvantage over time.

Families often continue to prioritize education, but poverty, insecurity, school closures and weakened education systems can make attendance and learning increasingly difficult. In conflict-affected settings, the report associates crisis conditions with deeper and more persistent learning deficits.

Conflict, displacement and climate shocks compound the damage

Education disruption is linked to armed conflict, forced displacement, climate-related disasters, poverty and other emergencies. These pressures can overlap, leaving children without reliable teachers, school buildings, learning materials or the protective services schools can provide.

The consequences extend beyond missed classes. Prolonged disruption can weaken literacy and numeracy, reduce progression through school, increase adolescent dropout risk and limit future skills and economic opportunity. Schools can also provide safety, stability, psychosocial support and protection when families are under pressure.

UNESCO links emergency response to long-term resilience

UNESCO said the response should connect emergency action with preparedness, recovery and long-term resilience. Its framework includes monitoring education conditions, keeping learning going in safe and inclusive environments, supporting teachers, restoring facilities, equipping young people with livelihood skills and strengthening education systems.

Education Cannot Wait’s 2027–2030 strategy seeks to reach an additional 10 million children and adolescents in severe crises and calls for $600 million in new resources over four years. That is a future financing target, not money already appropriated or secured.

Separate UNICEF analysis says international aid to education is projected to fall by $3.2 billion in 2026 if announced aid cuts take effect. UNICEF estimates that six million more children could be at risk of being out of school by the end of 2026. Those are projections about the funding environment, not part of Education Cannot Wait’s 258 million estimate.

The central takeaway is that the international education crisis is not limited to children who have formally left school. Millions more remain enrolled but are learning less, progressing more slowly or facing conditions that make eventual dropout more likely.

Sources

• Education Cannot Wait: Global Estimates Update 2026
• UNESCO: As crises grow, UNESCO advances efforts to keep every child learning
• UNICEF: Education aid cuts: A broken promise to children