5.8 million refugee children out of school, UN says

About 5.8 million refugee children were out of school in 2025, the UN refugee agency said Friday, warning that funding cuts could make the situation worse.

UNHCR said 44 percent of the world's 13.1 million school-age refugee children were out of school last year.

The agency said 65 percent of refugee children of primary school age were enrolled in education in 2025, but only 32 percent were enrolled in secondary education. Refugee enrolment in tertiary education reached a record 11 percent, it said.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih said education was protection and a pathway to opportunity and self-reliance. He warned that cuts to education risked reversing decades of investment and closing opportunities for a generation of young people.

UNHCR said earlier this week that its available funding had fallen from $5.2 billion in 2024 to $3.9 billion in 2025, while the number of people it is mandated to protect remained near historically high levels.

The agency said it needed $8.5 billion this year to protect refugees, but by the end of July had received $2.7 billion, or 32 percent of that amount. It said nearly 8.3 million refugees and other forcibly displaced people faced losing vital assistance as protection services weaken because of severe funding cuts.