Education is what gives individuals the chance to lead lives filled with potential and success for themselves, their families and their communities. It can be a true life-changing journey that lasts one’s entire lifetime and brings opportunities previously unimaginable.
Despite this, thousands of children and adults in impoverished communities can only dream of continuing or even beginning their educational journeys. Trapped in cycles of poverty and socioeconomic pressures that only seem to mount, they lack the resources needed to change their situation.
At Zakat Foundation of America, we’re seeking to change that - and it begins with taking a deeper look at global educational inequalities and deciding to take steps to address them. Read on to learn more about these inequalities and how you can help us bring full access to quality education for all:
Global Education Data in 2026
In looking at global education data from the past three years, a sharp disparity is seen between opportunities available for middle to high income countries and those for students in low income countries.
Childhood Education
Across several of the world’s poorest countries, children receive fewer than three years of learning-adjusted schooling, compared to ten or more years from wealthier nations. Across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia in particular, regions where the majority of the world’s children live, the average child receives a total of less than seven years of education. In countries like Chad, Ethiopia and Nigeria, a child is expected to gain fewer than 5 years of quality learning - less than half a child would be expected to in the United States, the United Kingdom or Sweden.
Additionally, as of 2023, 244 million children aren’t enrolled in either primary or secondary education, with several primary school children who drop out never returning to school to complete their primary education, nor progress to their secondary education. Even for the students in low-income countries who do attend primary school, the education they do receive is so poor that fewer than 20% of students can read with minimum comprehension and utilize basic mathematics skills.
Building success in adulthood with less than double digit years of education is a near impossible feat, with basic literacy and numeracy skills just barely being covered in that time.
Adult Learning
As these students age, the options available to them in adulthood are similarly lacking. On average, adult learners in poorer regions of the world receive only two to three years of education compared to their peers in Europe and North America who receive over 12 to 13 years of education in adulthood.
Because of this, in the world’s poorest nations (and again in particular across Sub-Saharan African countries), less than half of adults attain basic literacy. In these countries, struggling children often grow up to be struggling adults, having to fend for themselves without basic educational resources or life skills support - perpetuating cycles of individual and community poverty.
