According to the latest Afghanistan Education Situation report published by the UN’s educational and cultural organization UNESCO and child rights agency UNICEF, Afghan children face a narrowing path to education. The agencies state that "Afghanistan’s education situation in 2026 is defined by a widening mismatch between strong demand for learning and the capacity of the education system to meet it."
The school-age population—people aged seven to 18—grew from approximately 10.4 million in 2019 to 11.5 million in 2024. This growth is putting increased pressure on education services, teachers, and schools that are already overstretched. The agencies report that recurring emergencies, insufficient investment, and large-scale returns of Afghans from Pakistan and Iran are adding to the strain. More than a million returnees arrived this year alone, including more than 245,000 children.
Education access in the country is described as deeply unequal. Following the return of the Taliban in August 2021, more than 2.6 million girls have been barred from attending school beyond the sixth grade. The report stresses that the few remaining opportunities for teenage girls—including private tutoring, distance and digital learning, literacy and skills development programmes, and community-based education—are "far from sufficient." While about 5,300 community-driven classes serve around 162,000 learners (with girls making up 64 per cent), the report’s authors note that "nothing can replace in-person schooling and substitute for their fundamental human right to formal education."
The report also notes that boys' enrolment has weakened. Roughly 53 per cent of primary school-age children remain outside formal general education. Participation rates at the lower-secondary and upper-secondary levels are 67 per cent and 79 per cent, respectively. Due to incomplete information on private, Islamic, and alternative educational provision, the report warns of "an increasingly narrow pathway from primary education into secondary education, tertiary study, skills development and employment."
Despite these pressures, Afghan families continue to seek learning opportunities for their children, even in areas where schools are inaccessible. Approximately 6.6 million children enrolled in public primary schools last year, which was around 560,000 more than in 2022, though the agencies state the pace is not keeping up with population growth.
The report also emphasizes the need for better education quality and investment in classroom materials and teachers. A nationwide assessment found that less than half of fourth graders reached minimum proficiency in language among eight to nine-year-olds. Furthermore, the higher education sector remains substantially smaller than in 2021 because women are barred from university. Some 208,000 students are enrolled this year, compared with 189,000 in 2024, but this remains far below the roughly 430,000 enrolled in 2020.
UNESCO and UNICEF are calling for the full restoration of the right to education for Afghan girls and women, and for the removal of barriers that undermine education quality. The agencies warn that without urgent action, a whole generation will be left behind, which will undermine the country’s future development and recovery.
