UN Warns of Severe Capacity Shortages in Afghanistan’s Education System by 2026
The United Nations has announced that Afghanistan’s education system will face an increasing gap between high demand for education and limited capacity in schools and educational services by 2026. According to the UN report, factors such as population growth, recurring crises, insufficient investment in education, and the large return of refugees are putting significant pressure on schools and teachers. The population aged seven to eighteen in Afghanistan has grown from approximately 10.4 million in 2019 to 11.5 million in 2024, creating serious challenges in meeting educational capacity requirements. Additionally, the return of over one million Afghan refugees from neighboring Pakistan and Iran this year, including 245,000 children, has further strained the education system. The report also highlights that since the Taliban came to power, over 2.6 million Afghan girls have been banned from continuing education beyond the sixth grade, underscoring the severe restrictions and negative impact of the Taliban’s administration on girls’ right to education.
