The refugee education crisis is deepening as UNHCR warns funding cuts could reverse progress, with 5.8 million refugee children already out of school.
GENEVA: The refugee education crisis is facing renewed pressure as severe funding cuts threaten to push more displaced children out of classrooms, according to a new report from the UN Refugee Agency.
UNHCR said 5.8 million school-age refugee children were out of school in 2025, representing 44 per cent of an estimated 13.1 million refugee children worldwide.
Secondary education remains a major challenge
The figures highlight a particularly sharp divide between primary and secondary education. Around 65 per cent of primary-age refugee children were enrolled in school during 2025, but enrolment fell to just 32 per cent at secondary level. UNHCR identified the transition into secondary school as one of the biggest challenges facing displaced young people.
Girls can face additional barriers as they grow older. Poverty, protection risks and early marriage are among the pressures that can force refugee girls to leave education after primary school. The agency warned that shrinking humanitarian and development budgets could undermine years of investment in schools, teachers and programmes designed to keep refugee children learning.
Higher education shows signs of progress
The refugee education crisis comes despite encouraging progress in higher education. More than 450,000 refugees were enrolled in universities, vocational training or other tertiary education opportunities in 2025, according to UNHCR. That pushed the global refugee tertiary enrolment rate to a record 11 per cent, up from 9 per cent in 2024.
The increase moves UNHCR and its partners closer to their goal of achieving 15 per cent refugee enrolment in higher education by 2030. However, access remains uneven. In more than 80 per cent of countries providing data, refugee participation in higher education remained below the national enrolment rate.
In low-income and conflict-affected countries, only 2 per cent of refugees were enrolled in higher education, compared with 13 per cent of nationals.
UNHCR calls for sustained education funding
UNHCR is calling for education funding to be protected and for greater investment in national education systems serving both refugees and host communities. Such systems need sufficient teachers, classrooms, learning materials and long-term financing as more displaced children enter local schools.
The agency’s findings show why the refugee education crisis is increasingly linked to wider humanitarian funding pressures. Without sustained investment, existing enrolment gains could become harder to protect while millions of children who are already outside classrooms may face even greater obstacles to returning.
Impact to expect
Reduced education funding could place additional pressure on refugee-hosting countries, particularly those with already stretched school systems, while limiting future opportunities for millions of displaced children.
Continued investment could help preserve classroom access, strengthen local schools and prevent more young refugees from falling permanently behind.
