NewsUNHCR: 5.8 million refugee children were out of school in 2025
A 2 October report says 44% of 13.1 million school-aged refugee children were out of school.
Event / data period: 2025
Published: · Updated:
IllustrationUNHCR’s 2026 Education Report estimates that 5.8 million of the 13.1 million school-aged refugee children—44%—were out of school in 2025. The agency reported gross enrolment rates of 65% at primary level, 32% at secondary and 11% at tertiary level.
The report says the 11% tertiary rate was a record and more than 450,000 refugee students were attending university or technical and vocational training. In low-income and conflict-affected countries, refugee tertiary enrolment was 2%, compared with 13% among nationals. The figures refer to 2025; UNHCR warns funding cuts could reverse gains.
Data
Refugee children’s access to education
2025 education indicators in UNHCR’s 2026 report.
- School-aged refugee children
- 13.1 million people
- 2025 · Estimate
- Refugee children out of school
- 5.8 million people
- 2025 · Estimate
- Share out of school
- 44 percent
- 2025 · Estimate
- Gross primary enrolment rate
- 65 percent
- 2025 · Observed
- Gross secondary enrolment rate
- 32 percent
- 2025 · Observed
- Gross tertiary enrolment rate
- 11 percent
- 2025 · Observed
- Refugee tertiary students, reported lower bound
- ≥450,000 people
- 2025 · Observed
Methodology
Rates are gross; out-of-school count is an estimate. The student count exceeds 450,000.
Updated:
Subjects and places
Subject proposals
- educationSuggested
- Preserved editorial category/topic; broad candidate onlywww.unhcr.org ↗
