An estimated 171 million students worldwide had their schooling disrupted by climate hazards in 2025, equivalent to roughly one in 10 students from preschool through the end of high school, according to a new UNICEF report. Storms accounted for the largest share, affecting 109 million students, while floods and heatwaves also forced schools to suspend classes, shorten teaching time, shift to remote learning or reduce attendance. The disruption also increased the risk of children dropping out altogether.
Storms and Floods Caused Widespread School Disruptions
- Storms were the leading cause of schooling disrupted by climate hazards in 2025, affecting 109 million students globally.
- Flooding and extreme heat added to the disruption, with consequences ranging from temporary school closures to damaged infrastructure and fewer hours of classroom instruction.
- In Papua New Guinea, students are facing another difficult period as an unusually strong El Niño climate pattern is expected to raise the risk of extreme weather.
Flooding also affects basic sanitation.
- One student described how rising water floods pit toilets, creating unhealthy conditions and forcing students to miss lessons.
Climate hazard |
Impact reported by UNICEF |
|---|---|
All climate hazards |
171 million students |
Storms |
109 million students |
Pakistan monsoon floods |
28+ million students |
Egypt Khamsin storm |
28+ million students |
Children in low/lower-middle-income countries |
About three-quarters of affected students |
Pakistan was among the countries most severely affected.
- Severe monsoon flooding in August delayed the return to school for more than 28 million students, making it one of the largest climate-related education disruptions recorded during 2025.
Egypt faced a different type of climate-related disruption.
- A powerful Khamsin wind and dust storm led to a nationwide suspension of classes for one day in April, affecting more than 28 million students.
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Poorer Countries Bear the Heaviest Burden
Girls may take on additional caregiving and water-collection responsibilities when families are displaced, or sanitation systems fail. UNICEF also warns that these pressures can increase the risk of child marriage, making it harder for girls to return to education even after schools reopen.
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Education Losses Could Continue for Years
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warned that climate hazards can do more than interrupt lessons. They can damage schools, uproot families and push vulnerable children permanently out of education.
Children and their schools must always be protected.
#ProtectEducationFromAttack https://t.co/gBGB56IMT7
— Catherine Russell (@unicefchief) September 9, 2026
The financial consequences could also be substantial.
- UNICEF estimates that children affected by climate-related school disruptions in 2025 could collectively lose at least $200 billion in lifetime earnings because of lost learning and increased dropout risks.
- At a wider economic level, reduced learning can weaken workforce productivity, slow economic growth and make poverty reduction more difficult.
UNICEF is therefore calling on governments to increase investment in climate-resilient schools, infrastructure and education systems, so that extreme weather does not repeatedly turn temporary disasters into permanent learning losses.
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