Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) calls on countries to ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all by 2030. While there has been some progress, this goal is now under threat. The number of children out-of-school has risen to 272 million, with one in three children in conflict-affected or fragile settings. Millions more are in school but not learning- nearly 60% of children globally cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10. In low- and middle-income countries, that number rises to seven in ten, leaving millions without the foundational skills needed for life and work.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning for 1.6 billion students at its peak. Five years on, many systems, especially in low-income and crisis-affected settings, are still struggling to recover. The most marginalised children, including those with disabilities, remain the most affected. Public investment in education is also lagging. As of 2023, many countries had moved further away from the global benchmarks of spending 4% of GDP and 15% of total public expenditure on education than they were in 2015.
Recent data from UNESCO GEM Report states that countries are far from meeting several key education targets. They are off track by:
- 11 percentage points in achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of primary school
- 9 percentage points in expanding access to early childhood education
- 7 percentage points in training qualified pre-primary teachers
At the same time, rising debt burdens mean many countries are now spending more on servicing loans than on education. Meanwhile, global aid to education is projected to fall by 25% between 2023 and 2027, and the annual education financing gap now stands at an estimated US$100 billion.
Reaching SDG 4 will require urgent and sustained action: stronger political leadership, significant investment, and targeted support for those furthest behind.