Unesco finds debt payments exceed education spending in 113 countries

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Unesco reports that in 2025 more was spent on servicing foreign debt than on education in 113 developing countries, with sub-Saharan Africa spending 3.6 times more on debt than education. Eighteen highly indebted countries paid five times more on debt, and Sri Lanka paid up to 16 times more. Aid to education for low- and lower-middle-income countries fell 21% in 2023 and could decline up to 30% by 2027, while donor cuts already reduced funding by $600m in 2024. The combined effect has disrupted school funding, left teachers unpaid and may weaken countries' economic development and debt resilience.

113 developing countries spent more on debt than education in 2025