UNESCO Warns 113 Nations Spend More on Debt Than Education

PARIS – UNESCO has warned that 113 countries now spend more servicing public debt than investing in education, raising concerns that growing financial pressures could undermine global efforts to achieve quality education for all by 2030.

The warning was delivered during the Transforming Education Summit +4 in Paris, where UNESCO reported that the affected countries home to approximately 6.1 billion people are increasingly diverting public resources away from schools to meet debt obligations.

UNESCO stressed that protecting education requires urgent political commitment and innovative financing solutions.

"Education cannot wait while debt burdens continue to grow. Innovative financing is essential to protect every child's right to learn," UNESCO said in its official guidance on education financing.

According to Reuters, the agency is encouraging wider use of debt-for-education swaps, allowing countries to restructure portions of their debt while redirecting financial savings toward schools, teacher training, educational infrastructure, and student support. Similar arrangements have already been implemented through partnerships involving France and Côte d'Ivoire as well as Spain and Peru.

UNESCO also projected that global education aid could decline by as much as 30% between 2023 and 2027. Aid to education fell by around 8% in 2024, while low-income countries continue to face an estimated US$97 billion annual education financing gap.

Meanwhile, both UNICEF and the World Bank continue to emphasize that investment in education is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty, strengthen economic resilience, and improve long-term productivity. They warn that prolonged underinvestment could weaken future human capital and slow sustainable development.

The Guardian reported that in 18 of the world's most heavily indebted countries, debt repayments exceed education budgets by at least five times, leaving governments with fewer resources to maintain schools and improve learning outcomes.

UNESCO concluded that achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by 2030 will become increasingly difficult unless governments, international financial institutions, and development partners work together to prioritize education financing despite mounting global economic challenges.