NOTE: Germany has reported only semi-aggregated data for part of the BMZ data for this release (approximately EUR4 billion), due to an internal transition of their IT systems. Granular data on recipients, sectors, and policy markers were not available for submission to the OECD at the time of publication. Therefore, any data including Germany is preliminary.

How is ODA to education evolving over time?

ODA to education remained relatively stable from 2020-2024, fluctuating between US$12.6 billion and US$13.3 billion, though funding declined 4% from US$13.2 billion in 2020 to US$12.7 billion in 2024. Bilateral ODA fell from US$9.2 billion in 2020 to US$8.9 billion in 2024, while multilateral core funding experienced greater volatility, dropping from US$2.3 billion in 2020 to US$2 billion in 2021 before recovering to US$2.4 billion in 2024. Education's share of total ODA remained modest, ranging between 5% and 6% throughout the period.

Who are the top donors of education ODA?

Germany led education ODA in absolute terms, contributing US$3.4 billion, followed by France at US$2.1 billion and the US at US$1.7 billion. However, smaller donors demonstrated stronger prioritization of the sector, with Hungary allocating 51% of its total ODA to education, and Austria dedicating 20%. Among major donors, France and Germany allocated 12% and 9% of their total ODA to education respectively.

What are the key debates and topics surrounding education?

Education and SDG#4 is frequently framed as a prerequisite for poverty reduction: Many low- and lower-middle-income countries rely on international support to fund domestic education systems, which are seen as long-term drivers of sustainable growth and development.

However, global education funding gaps have worsened following the COVID-19 pandemic, and UNESCO estimates that between 2023 and 2030 there will be an annual funding gap averaging US$97 billion in low- and lower-middle-income countries to achieve SDG#4.

Progress towards reaching  SDG#4 is coordinated through the  SDG4-Education 2030 High-Level Steering Committee, a global body for global multi-stakeholder consultation and coordination hosted by UNESCO.

Many actors in the global education space have aligned around the indicator of learning poverty – defined as the inability to read and understand a simple text by age 10. Even before COVID-19, the challenge was severe: in 2019, 57% of children in low- and middle-income countries and 86% in SSA were learning poor. The pandemic pushed the challenge further, with the State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update estimating the rate had surged to 70% in low- and middle-income countries. In response, many donors have prioritized foundational literacy and numeracy as the core of their education programming. Education typically features lower in donor agendas: Education is seen as a priority by many donors but often receives less attention and funding than topics like global health or climate.

The inaugural TES, held in 2022, was organised to elevate education to the top of the global political agenda in response to a 'global education crisis' characterised by issues of equity, inclusion, and quality. More than 130 countries pledged to reform their education systems, but progress has been slow. The outlook has since worsened considerably: in early 2025, the closure of USAID triggered the cancellation of 396 education programmes across 58 countries, removing over US$1 billion in annual education funding from the global system. With out-of-school numbers already standing at an estimated 272 million children, further aid retrenchment risks reversing hard-won gains.

Education is often highlighted through intersections with other development topics, in part because of the ability to address inequalities from a younger age, and in part because the school often serves as a central location for delivering development programs. These intersections can include gender equality programs that focus on girls’ education, health programs such as immunization, or nutrition programs that leverage school feeding programs. There has also been an increasing interest in the climate-education nexus, though it does not yet feature strongly on agendas in national and international policy spaces.

The education sector has emerged as a frontrunner in adopting innovative finance mechanisms within global development, demonstrating notable progress compared to other sectors. Outcomes-based financing instruments such as DIBs have seen particularly notable uptake: UNESCO's review of the Innovative Finance in Education landscape identified over 140 education impact bonds globally, often blending private capital with bilateral donor support. Notably, several education-focused DIBs have been launched, often blending with bilateral donor support impact in the sector. A leading example is the Educate Girls DIB in India, which mobilized private capital to support out-of-school girls in rural Rajasthan, with returns linked to measurable educational achievements. Despite these promising examples, challenges remain around high transaction costs and limited scalability, meaning innovative finance is seen as a complement to, rather than a substitute for public and ODA funding