More than 171 million students had their schooling disrupted by climate hazards in 2025; over 3 million children affected in Viet Nam – UNICEF

NEW YORK/HA NOI, 10 September 2026 – More than 171 million students globally – or 1 in 10 – from pre-primary to upper secondary age had their schooling disrupted by climate hazards in 2025, according to a new analysis released by UNICEF today.  In Viet Nam alone, more than 3 million children saw their learning disrupted by climate-related hazards, underscoring the growing threat that extreme weather poses to children's education and future opportunities.

Learning Interrupted: Global Snapshot of Climate-Related School Disruptions in 2025 analyses data from 106 countries or territories and finds that climate hazards including storms, floods, heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires led to suspended classes, damaged schools, a shift to remote learning, shortened instructional time, reduced school attendance, and increased risk of dropout for millions of students worldwide. 

“For millions of children, climate hazards do more than disrupt lessons, they destroy schools, uproot families, and push the most vulnerable children, especially girls, out of the classroom for good,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

According to the analysis, storms were the most common cause of school disruptions last year, affecting 109 million students globally. Floods affected at least 70 million students, while heatwaves disrupted schooling for approximately 50 million children. Viet Nam is among the countries increasingly exposed to recurring climate shocks. In 2025, storms and floods were among the major climate hazard causing the school disruption across the country, affecting more than 3 million children.  

"The climate crisis is increasingly becoming a learning crisis for children in Viet Nam," said Silvia Danailov, UNICEF Representative in Viet Nam. "When schools close because of floods or storms, the consequences extend far beyond missed lessons. The most vulnerable children lose valuable learning time, face disruptions to their daily routines, and may be separated from the safe and supportive environment that schools provide. We must act now to ensure every school is safe, resilient and prepared for a changing climate."

While students across all income levels were impacted by disruptions, three-quarters of students affected live in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where education systems often lack the resources needed to safeguard learning during climate-related emergencies. 

According to the data, 40 countries experienced multiple rounds of climate-related school disruptions throughout the year. Learning losses and higher school dropout rates can reduce workforce productivity, slow economic growth, and make it harder for countries to reduce poverty. The report finds that inaction could result in a potential loss of at least US$200 billion in lifetime earnings for students who experienced climate-related school disruptions in 2025. 

Girls are at greater risk of dropping out when climate hazards disrupt or close schools. Damage to schools and sanitation facilities, displacement and lost family income can place additional caregiving and water-collection responsibilities on girls. These pressures can also increase the risk of child marriage, making it more difficult for girls to return to class when schools reopen.

“Some of us live very far away from school and we must walk or cycle for long distances, which becomes difficult in extreme weather. When it rains, the roads become slippery, so it’s easy to fall,” said 14-year-old female student from Gia Lai in Central Viet Nam. “Strong winds and storms make it impossible to go to school. When the weather is too dangerous, our parents tell us to stay home to be safe. We feel uncomfortable because we can’t keep up with the lessons.”

At the same time, the report highlights practical solutions that are already helping protect learning from climate hazards, including integrating climate resilience into national education planning, strengthening school infrastructure, ensuring learning continuity during and after disruptions, and embedding climate education into curricula to equip children and young people with the skills needed to adapt to a changing world.

Building on these proven approaches, UNICEF is calling on governments and partners to scale-up efforts and protect education from the worst impacts of climate hazards by: 

• Strengthening the climate-resilience of education systems to support continuity of learning during emergencies.
• Increasing domestic and international financing for education resilience.
• Investing in climate-resilient educational infrastructure to protect students and educators.
• Equipping children and young people with the knowledge and skills to build resilience and drive climate action.
• Strengthening climate and education data systems to better anticipate, respond to, and recover from disruptions.
   

Across Viet Nam, UNICEF works closely with the Ministry of Education and Training and young people to strengthen climate education, support climate-resilient schools and promote green skills. These efforts help ensure learning continues during climate-related emergencies while empowering children and adolescents to contribute to climate solutions in their communities.

“Climate hazards threaten children’s lives and futures,” said Russell. “To protect education for children today and for future generations, we must invest in schools and education systems that are built to withstand climate shocks.”

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Notes for editors: 

Countries impacted by climate hazards in 2025 were identified by consulting the Emergency Events Database (EMDAT) and the ReliefWeb Disaster Archive. Within these occurrences, school disruptions were verified from situation reports and press releases by UNICEF, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the European Commission Emergency Response Coordination Centre ECHO Flash, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), ReliefWeb, along with additional media outlets. Key data sources include UNICEF country offices and national committees, UNICEF humanitarian situation reports, UN OCHA flash updates, Save the Children, Education Cluster, ministries of education, and UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS). 

UNICEF's Children's Climate Risk Report 2026, released in June, found that nearly half of the world's children, or 1.1 billion, are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards, which threaten their health, education, and survival. 

Multimedia materials available here.