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Developing countries spend more servicing foreign debt than on education

Unesco data cited by the Guardian shows 113 countries devoted more to debt repayment than education, with sub-Saharan Africa spending 3.6 times more on debt last year.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Emerging Markets

According to research by the UN’s culture and education agency, Unesco, developing countries are devoting more money to repaying foreign debt than to education in 113 countries, a pattern that is leaving students without funding for schooling.

The Guardian reports that in sub-Saharan Africa, countries spent 3.6 times more on debt servicing than on education last year. Unesco also warns the situation could worsen as education funding cuts continue.

The agency said low and lower-middle-income countries already lost 21% of education aid in 2023 and could lose up to 30% by 2027, while some countries including Afghanistan, Mali, Niger, and Liberia have already seen more than 40% declines over three years.

The Guardian also points to aid reductions from the US and Europe, noting education funding dropped by $600 million in 2024, the last recorded figures, and is expected to have fallen further in 2025. Unesco links the budget squeeze to a broader cycle of austerity and underinvestment, while Debt Justice argues debt repayments have surged after shocks including Covid, energy and higher interest rates, and climate disasters.

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