A new UNICEF-UNESCO report reveals Afghanistan’s higher education system is collapsing for both men and women, with female students wiped out and male participation falling sharply amid Taliban restrictions and economic strain.

Afghanistan’s higher education system is undergoing a profound contraction that extends far beyond the Taliban’s well-documented ban on women. According to the Afghanistan Education Situation Report 2026, jointly released by UNICEF and UNESCO, the number of male university students has fallen by roughly one-third since 2019, while women have been entirely erased from formal tertiary education.

About 208,000 male students were enrolled in higher education in 2026, down from an estimated 306,000 in 2019. Female enrolment, which stood at around 119,000 in 2019, dropped to 89,000 in 2022, approached zero in 2023 and has remained at zero from 2024 onwards. The figures underscore that the crisis is not limited to the exclusion of half the population; it is hollowing out the entire system.

Women have been barred from universities since December 2022. UNICEF and UNESCO warn that this exclusion carries consequences far beyond campus gates. Higher education supplies the qualifications needed for professions in healthcare, education and academia. UNESCO estimates that if the suspension of women’s access continues, the cumulative economic loss to Afghanistan could reach about $9.6 billion by 2066.

University Teaching Workforce Shrinks Dramatically

The report documents a parallel collapse in the university teaching workforce. The number of professors and lecturers fell from about 18,900 in 2019 to 12,700 in 2025 – roughly, a one-third decline. The drop was especially severe among women. Afghanistan had about 2,600 female university professors and lecturers in 2019. That figure fell to around 1,100 in 2023, 800 in 2024 and just over 100 in 2025. Male academic staff numbers also declined, though less sharply.

UNICEF and UNESCO note that the near-disappearance of female academics has reduced university expertise and mentorship while weakening the pool of professionals that would be needed if women were ever allowed to return. The number of higher education institutions has remained relatively stable – rising slightly to 170 in 2024 after a dip – but this masks severe financial pressure, particularly on private universities that lost significant tuition revenue after female students were excluded. In August 2026, the Taliban-run Higher Education Ministry suspended seven private institutions for one year and revoked the licences of two others.

Entrance Exam Pipeline Narrows

The contraction is visible at the entry point. About 118,000 people sat the Kankor university entrance examination in 2026, compared with 210,000 in 2020. No female participation has been reported since 2023. Although the number of successful candidates rose to about 75,000 in 2026 from lower figures in previous years, the overall pool remains smaller than the roughly 81,000 who qualified in 2020. The qualification rate jumped to 63 per cent in 2026 from 39 per cent in 2020, suggesting admission has become less competitive as fewer young people pursue higher education.

The shrinking pipeline begins earlier. Boys’ enrolment in Grades 10 through 12 fell from about 750,000 in 2023 to 660,000 in 2025. The male gross enrolment ratio at upper-secondary level dropped from 48.5 per cent in 2023 to 40 per cent in 2025. Girls remain entirely excluded from formal secondary education beyond Grade 6. UNICEF estimates that more than 2.6 million girls have been denied secondary education since restrictions were imposed in 2021.

Curriculum Overhauled and Islamic Education Expands

Higher education has also undergone significant curriculum changes. In 2025, public and private universities were instructed to remove 679 books and learning materials and discontinue 18 academic subjects, including those related to human rights, democracy, gender, governance and other social sciences. More than 200 additional subjects were retained pending revision. UNICEF and UNESCO say the changes raise concerns about the breadth of academic education, particularly in the humanities, law and social sciences.

At the same time, Islamic education has expanded dramatically. The number of Islamic education institutions rose from 1,127 in 2019 to about 20,700 in 2025. Those institutions reported roughly 2.46 million students and 84,000 teachers in 2025, with girls accounting for about 29 per cent of enrolment. The agencies caution that limited independent verification makes it difficult to assess quality and learning outcomes.

Vocational Training Becomes Male Domain

Similar gender disparities appear in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Formal TVET enrolment stood at about 58,000 students in 2025, down 8 per cent from 2019. Male enrolment rose while female participation disappeared, leaving about 15,000 male graduates in 2025. Formal vocational education has effectively become a pathway for male students only, while women and adolescent girls increasingly rely on non-formal programmes.

Learning Crisis Starts Early and Funding Falls Short

Problems begin in primary school. A 2025 national assessment of more than 55,000 Grade 4 students found that only 43.5 per cent had reached minimum proficiency in language and just 25.4 per cent in mathematics. An estimated 53 per cent of primary-school-age children, 67 per cent of lower-secondary-age adolescents and 79 per cent of upper-secondary-age youth are outside formal general education. About half of schools lack buildings large enough to accommodate all classes.

Community-based education, once a critical alternative for remote areas and girls, has contracted sharply from nearly one million students in 2023 to about 162,000 by October 2026. Meanwhile, external financing for education has plummeted. The sector faces a cumulative gap of about $324 million for 2026 and 2027.

UNICEF and UNESCO acknowledge that Afghanistan’s education system retains substantial capacity and strong public demand for learning. Yet they warn that restrictions, declining participation, weak learning outcomes and shrinking financing are narrowing the pathway from primary school through secondary education, university, skills development and employment. 

The report presents a stark picture of a generation of both young men and women whose opportunities are being systematically constrained, with long-term consequences for Afghanistan’s economic and social recovery.