10 African countries with highest number of out-of-school children

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 244 million children and youth between the ages of 6 and 18 worldwide are still out of school, and about 14,300 schools have shut down in 24 African countries as of June 2024 according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Some of the countries most affected are Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Niger.

Poverty has emerged as a significant barrier to education, alongside conflicts, wrong government policies and climate change, as a substantial number of children from low-income backgrounds are unable to access schooling.

The staggering disparity in access to education has been uncovered by a recent survey, which reveals that 33% of school-aged children and youth in low-income countries are denied the opportunity to learn, compared to a mere 3% in high-income countries, highlighting the global economic inequalities.

A UNESCO report further noted that low and middle-income countries spent only $55 per learner in 2022, compared to $8,543 for high-income countries.

According to the UNESCO, sub-Saharan Africa recorded over half of all out-of-school children and adolescents globally.

The data analyzed by UNESCO gives estimates of the number of out-of-school children in 10 African countries