Almost half of the world’s school-age refugee children are not in education, according to a new report from UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. It warns that funding cuts could undo years of progress.
An estimated 13.1 million refugee children were of school age in 2025. UN News reports that 5.8 million of them were out of school.
The secondary-school gap
Moving from primary to secondary school is one of the biggest hurdles. In 2025, 65% of refugee children were enrolled in primary school, but only 32% in secondary. The report also says two in three refugee children reach primary school without the basic learning that prepares them for the classroom.
Girls and boys attend primary school at similar rates. The gap widens sharply at secondary level, as growing numbers of adolescent girls leave school because of poverty, early marriage, safety concerns and other pressures.
Record university enrolment
Higher education is a brighter spot. Refugee enrolment at university or in technical and vocational training reached a record 11% in 2025, which is more than 450,000 students. UNHCR says this puts it on track for its “15x30” goal: 15% of refugee young people in higher education by the end of the decade.
Access is still uneven. Refugee enrolment is below the national average in more than 80% of reporting countries. In low-income and conflict-affected countries, only 2% of refugees were in higher education, against 13% of nationals.
The funding warning
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, himself a former refugee from Iraq, warned that education cuts risk reversing decades of investment, at a time of severe pressure on aid budgets. UNHCR says improving refugee education also means strengthening national school systems that serve both refugees and host communities.
These are global figures. Conditions vary widely between countries hosting refugees.
