Murielle Laurent· S&D

Nuanced

The number of children out of school worldwide could soon reach 278 million.

Omissions

• The most recent official UNESCO figure is 273 million children and youth out of school as of 2024, published in the 2026 GEM Report
• UNESCO acknowledges that out-of-school populations may be underestimated by about 13 million, raising the potential total to approximately 286 million
• The exact figure of 278 million was not found in official UNESCO sources; it may be an interpolated estimate
• The claim describes a future projection ('could soon reach') but UNESCO data already shows figures in this range when adjusted for underestimation

Sources

• PrimaryUNESCO - More children out of school for the 7th year in a row, up to 273 million273 million children and youth are out of school globally as of 2024 data
• PrimaryUNESCO - Out-of-school rateApproximately 286 million when accounting for 13 million underestimated out-of-school children