Which regions have the highest number of out-of-school children?

Based on the most recent comprehensive data from UNESCO Institute for Statistics or UNICEF, which regions globally currently exhibit the highest absolute numbers of out-of-school children in the primary school–age group (typically ages 6 to 11)? Please specify if the data includes both boys and girls or is disaggregated by gender, and indicate the year of the referenced statistics to ensure the analysis reflects the latest available trends.

Based on the latest data from UNESCO and UNICEF (primarily reporting on 2021/2022 and estimates for 2022/2023), the regions with the highest number of out-of-school children globally are:

1. Sub-Saharan Africa:

   • This region consistently has the highest absolute number of out-of-school children. Over 98 million children and adolescents are out of school at the primary and lower secondary levels combined.
   • Major contributing factors: Extreme poverty, conflict and instability, high population growth, deeply entrenched gender disparities, significant infrastructure and teacher shortages, child labor, and the impacts of climate change.
   • Countries with particularly high numbers: Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Chad, Somalia, and South Sudan are among the worst-affected within the region.
2. South Asia:
   • This region has the second-highest number of out-of-school children globally. Approximately 81 million children and adolescents are out of school at the primary and lower secondary levels combined.
   • Major contributing factors: Large population size, significant economic disparities, persistent gender gaps (especially concerning child marriage and domestic responsibilities for girls), child labor, inadequate school infrastructure in remote/rural areas, and quality of education issues leading to dropouts.
   • Countries with particularly high numbers: India and Pakistan account for the vast majority of out-of-school children in this region.

Key Context and Details:

• Conflict Fragility and Emergencies: Affected regions (parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, North Africa) often see spikes in out-of-school numbers. Countries like Afghanistan (where girls are largely banned from secondary school), Syria, Yemen, and Somalia consistently face extremely high rates due to ongoing conflict and displacement, destroying schools and forcing populations to flee.
• Gender Disparity: Girls are disproportionately affected. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, approximately 58% of out-of-school children at the lower secondary level are girls. Barriers include poverty forcing early marriage/child labor, safety concerns on the way to school, lack of gender-sensitive facilities, and cultural norms prioritizing boys’ education.
• Lower Secondary Focus: The figures cited include both primary and lower secondary levels (ages approximately 6 to 14). Exclusion at the lower secondary stage is particularly acute, driven by issues like child labor, cost, and relevance of education.
• Stalling Progress: Global progress towards universal primary education has stalled since 2015 and was significantly worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused widespread school closures and exacerbated inequalities.
• Persistent Challenges: While enrollment increases have occurred in some areas, quality issues, lack of learning (foundational skills), child labor, and poverty continue to push children out before completing school.

In summary, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia bear the overwhelming majority of the global burden of out-of-school children, heavily influenced by poverty, conflict, gender inequality, and systemic challenges to education access and quality.