According to a UNICEF report, approximately 171 million students—roughly one in ten globally—experienced school disruptions caused by climate hazards in 2025. Storms affected 109 million students, followed by floods and heatwaves. Three-quarters of the affected students live in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where climate-related disruptions can have particularly severe consequences.
Girls face heightened risks of dropping out when schools are closed, further widening existing education inequalities. UNICEF warns that students affected by these disruptions could collectively lose at least $200 billion in lifetime earnings, highlighting the long-term economic and social costs of climate-related interruptions to education.
Reference: United Nations