The United Nations (UN) has announced that Afghanistan’s education system in 2026 faces a widening gap between the growing demand for education and the limited capacity of schools and educational services to meet this need.
The organisation said on Wednesday, November 4, that population growth, successive crises, insufficient investment and the large-scale return of migrants have further increased pressure on the education system.
According to the report, the population of people aged seven to 18 in Afghanistan increased from approximately 10.4 million in 2019 to 11.5 million in 2024.
This increase has placed additional pressure on schools, teachers and educational services.
The large-scale return of people from Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran has further intensified these pressures. In 2026 alone, more than one million people have returned to Afghanistan, including more than 245,000 children.
The report also states that more than 2.6 million girls have been denied access to education beyond the sixth grade since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.
