UNESCO warns global education aid could decline by up to 30% by 2027

Tuesday 14 July 2026 - 10:16

By: Azzat Manal

UNESCO warns global education aid could decline by up to 30% by 2027

UNESCO has warned that international funding for education could decline by as much as 30% between 2023 and 2027, raising concerns about the future of learning opportunities for millions of children and young people around the world.

The warning comes from the organization's latest Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, which highlights growing financial pressures on education systems, particularly in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. According to UNESCO, reduced international assistance could deepen existing inequalities and slow progress toward achieving universal access to quality education.

UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany stressed that education remains one of the most valuable long-term investments any country can make. However, he noted that many governments continue to face significant financial constraints, while education often receives lower priority compared with other public expenditures.

The report indicates that international assistance for education has already declined in recent years, with funding for basic education—including pre-primary, primary, and lower secondary schooling—experiencing particularly sharp reductions. Several developing countries have seen substantial decreases in external support, making it more difficult to finance schools, teacher training, and learning resources.

UNESCO also points to rising public debt as a major challenge. In many developing economies, governments now spend more on servicing debt than on education, limiting their ability to invest in classrooms, infrastructure, and educational reforms.

To address these challenges, the organization is encouraging governments and international financial institutions to explore innovative financing mechanisms. Among the proposed solutions are debt-for-education swaps, which allow part of a country's external debt to be converted into investments in national education systems.

The issue was discussed during the Education Transformation Summit +4 in Paris, where ministers, development banks, educators, civil society representatives, private sector leaders, and young people gathered to examine strategies for strengthening education financing and preparing the global education agenda beyond 2030.

UNESCO estimates that low-income and lower-middle-income countries face an annual education financing gap of nearly $97 billion, emphasizing that closing this gap will require stronger international cooperation, sustainable investment, and long-term political commitment.

As the deadline for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) approaches, UNESCO has called on governments and global partners to place education at the center of development strategies, arguing that quality education remains essential for economic growth, social inclusion, innovation, and sustainable development worldwide.