联合国教科文组织发布的一份研究报告显示，在 2025 年，全球共有 113 个发展中国家的外债偿还支出超过了其教育预算 [1]。受美国及欧洲削减教育援助的影响，这些国家的教育资金预计将进一步大幅减少，导致学校运营困难和教师薪资拖欠 [1]。
地区差异显著，撒哈拉以南非洲地区用于债务的支出是教育支出的 3.6 倍 [1]。斯里兰卡作为最严重的案例之一，其债务偿还额最高可达教育支出的 16 倍 [1]。在低收入国家中，2023 年所获的教育援助已损失了 21%，预计至 2027 年将累计损失高达 30% [1]。其中，阿富汗、马里、尼日尔和利比里亚等国在三年内失去了超过 40% 的教育援助 [1]。
全球债务负担持续加重，56 个国家的债务偿还占其总收入的近五分之一，这一比例创下过去 35 年的新高 [1]。造成资金缺口的主要外部因素是西方援助的缩减：2024 年，美国及欧洲对教育的援助减少了约 6 亿美元（约合 4.7 亿英镑）[1]。
A new report released by UNESCO indicates that in 2025, the external debt service payments for 113 developing nations exceeded their total spending on education [1]. In sub-Saharan Africa specifically, expenditures dedicated to servicing debt are currently 3.6 times higher than those allocated to educational needs [1]. Sri Lanka stands as one of the most indebted countries in this group, where debt repayments can reach up to 16 times the amount spent on education [1].
The financial strain is exacerbated by a significant decline in international aid. Aid for education from the United States and Europe dropped by $600 million (approximately £470 million) in 2024 alone [1]. Consequently, low-income countries have already lost 21% of the educational assistance they received in 2023; projections suggest this loss could rise to as much as 30% by 2027 due to further reductions from Western donors [1]. The impact has been particularly severe for Afghanistan, Mali, Niger, and Liberia, which have lost over 40% of their educational aid within the last three years [1].
The cumulative effect on national economies is stark. Debt repayments now account for nearly one-fifth of total income in 56 countries, marking a record high not seen since 35 years ago [1]. This shift in fiscal priority threatens school operations and has led to situations where teacher salaries remain unpaid across the affected regions [1].