UN reports 5.8 million refugee children out of school — Asharq Al-Awsat

In 2025, around 5.8 million refugee children worldwide were not attending school. This accounts for 44% of the 13.1 million school-age refugees, Asharq Al-Awsat reports, citing the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Difference between education levels

According to UNHCR data, 65% of primary school-age refugee children were enrolled in education in 2025. At the same time, only 32% of refugee children of the relevant age were enrolled in secondary education.

The share of refugees receiving higher education reached a record 11% last year. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih said that education is not only a form of protection, but also a path to opportunities and self-reliance.

Salih, who was previously president of Iraq and was himself a refugee, noted that education gave him opportunities that forced displacement could have deprived him of. According to him, forced displacement should not determine the limits of a child's life.

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Funding cuts

UNHCR warned that reduced humanitarian and development funding threatens to undo decades of joint investment in education and limit opportunities for an entire generation of young people.

Funding available to the agency fell from $5.2 billion in 2024 to $3.9 billion in 2025, while the number of people UNHCR is mandated to protect remains near historic highs.

This year, the agency requires $8.5 billion to protect refugees, but had received $2.7 billion, or 32% of the required amount, by the end of July. UNHCR also said that due to substantial funding cuts, nearly 8.3 million refugees and other forcibly displaced people may lose life-saving assistance.