Worldwide total of kids not in school rises to 273 million, according to UNESCO report

The global tally of children and young people not attending school has reached a staggering 273 million, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation.

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As outlined in UNESCO's 2026 Global Education Monitoring report, this marks the seventh year in a row that the number of out-of-school children and young people has increased.

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The report reveals that a significant proportion of school-age children, approximately one in six, are being denied access to education, while only about two-thirds manage to complete their secondary school education.

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Since 2015, progress in education has slowed down in most regions, with factors such as conflict and population growth being major contributing factors.

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The GEM report observes that the advancement of keeping children in school has stagnated across nearly every region, with sub-Saharan Africa being particularly hard hit.

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In areas affected by conflict, the situation is even more dire, as official statistics fail to account for millions of additional children who are not attending school.

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Despite these challenges, UNESCO notes that there have been substantial gains in education over the past twenty years, with global enrolment rates experiencing a sharp increase.

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According to the report, the rate of progress is such that more than 25 additional children are gaining access to school every minute, a trend that has been ongoing since the year 2000.

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The report also highlights the achievements of certain countries that have made remarkable strides in reducing the number of out-of-school children and expanding access to education at all levels.

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However, the report emphasizes that a single policy approach will not be sufficient to address the issue of exclusion, instead advocating for tailored solutions and sustained investment to ensure that all children have the opportunity to learn.