Build Forward Better 2023

For the third consecutive year, Save the Children has ranked 182 countries by the vulnerability of their school system to hazards that threaten children’s right to learn and against levels of preparedness to those hazards. This enables us to make a holistic view of the risks to education and suggested which national education systems required increased resources from national governments and international actors to mitigate existing and prevent future crises.

This briefing updates the Risks to Education Index with new 2022 or 2023 data where available. We have identified two countries – Somalia and Afghanistan – at extreme risk of ongoing and future crises disrupting education. These countries are closely followed by a further 25 countries ranked at high risk, with Sudan, Yemen, Mali and Syria amongst the highest countries in the index.

The Risks to Education Index 2023 shows that education systems remain highly vulnerable with new and emerging threats, including the global hunger crisis that is unfolding as a result of new and protracted conflicts, increased food prices, and extreme weather, putting further strain on countries’ education systems. Building resilient education systems in all countries – through investment in crisis-sensitive planning, preparedness and anticipatory action – is critical, and even more so in crisis-prone and low-income countries.

In the face of growing risks, every government needs to develop and implement an integrated preparedness plan to secure children’s learning and wellbeing in future crises.  Donors and international development partners also need to step up and urgently fill the education financing gap and enable anticipatory action.