The 2026 UNESCO GEM Report, published today, shows that progress in keeping children in school has slowed across almost every region since 2015, with a sharp deceleration in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly due to population growth. Several crises - including conflict - have also derailed progress. Over one in six children live in conflict-affected areas, representing millions of additional children out of school beyond those captured in the statistics.
This reality is particularly urgent in the Middle East today, where ongoing regional tensions have forced many schools to close, leaving millions of children out of the classroom and at heightened risk of falling behind.
Despite the challenges, the 2026 GEM Report documents significant achievements in global education over recent years.
Some countries have reduced out-of-school rates by at least 80 per cent since 2000, such as Madagascar and Togo among children, Morocco and Viet Nam among adolescents, and Georgia and Türkiye among youth. In the same period, Côte d’Ivoire halved its out-of- school rates across all three age groups.
More than 25 additional children in school every minute
With 1.4 billion students enrolled in school in 2024, global enrolment had increased by 327 million, or 30 per cent, in primary and secondary education since 2000. It also increased by 45 per cent in pre-primary and by 161 per cent in post-secondary education. This is equivalent to more than 25 additional children accessing school every minute.
For instance, Ethiopia’s primary enrolment rate increased from 18 per cent in 1974 to 84 per cent in 2024, and China’s expansion in access to tertiary grew at an unprecedented rate, from 7 per cent in 1999 to over 60 per cent in 2024.
Gender gaps in primary and secondary education have largely closed on average. For instance, Nepal’s girls have rapidly caught up to, and in some areas surpassed, boys through sustained gender equality reforms.
More children are completing, not only starting, their education: since 2000, the global completion rate has increased from 77 per cent to 88 per cent in primary, from 60 per cent to 78 per cent in lower secondary, and from 37 per cent to 61 per cent in upper secondary.
However, at current rates of expansion, the world would only achieve 95 per cent upper secondary completion by 2105.
A growing commitment to inclusive education and equitable financing
The report also highlights an increasing global commitment to inclusion. Mapping policies since the year 2000, it shows that the share of countries with inclusive education laws has risen from 1 per cent to 24 per cent, while those calling in their laws for children with disabilities to be taught in inclusive education settings has increased from 17 per cent to 29 per cent.
The share of countries deploying a series of financing mechanisms – transfers to subnational governments, to schools, and to students and households – to benefit disadvantaged populations in primary and secondary education has been multiplied by more than four in the past 25 years. For instance, 76 per cent of countries have policies to reallocate resources in favour of disadvantaged schools.
However, a new index in the report shows that only 8 per cent of all countries are making the most of those mechanisms to redistribute education resources towards disadvantaged populations.
Prior efforts to make education affordable improved access but compromised quality, raising dropout rates. They also did not remove other substantive costs which remain a barrier for families, such as transportation, after-school care or meal costs. As donor funding retreats, programmes like school grants and meal schemes (the latter of which are present in 84 per cent of countries) that were never fully absorbed into national budgets now face collapse.
Looking ahead: no single policy can fix exclusion
The report shows that no single policy will fix exclusion. Policies should be built addressing local realities and challenges from multiple angles, and based on evidence. In 14 African countries, making education compulsory and not just free added over a year of schooling for both girls and boys; when child labour laws are added, the gains grow further.
Successful policies must also include factors outside education: for instance, electrification alone has been linked to nearly a full extra year of schooling in Cambodia, and school feeding programmes have been shown to add up to half a year of learning for every US$100 spent in low- and middle-income countries. When children receive cash transfers tied to school attendance, they are 36 per cent more likely to be enrolled.
By supporting governments around the world and bringing together ministers, development partners, civil society and youth representatives, UNESCO will continue to shape the post 2030 education agenda, ensuring that, despite global challenges, education remains a top priority.
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions. Its Director-General is Khaled El-Enany.
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