A summary of this report popped up on my LinkedIn feed this morning. See the summary below.
📘 Impact of USAID Withdrawal on Global Education and Skills Development
This new report by Elena Walls in collaboration with the European Training Foundation provides the first comprehensive analysis of the global consequences following the withdrawal of USAID from international education funding in early 2025.
It details the size, scope and immediate impact of this decision — drawing on public data from ForeignAssistance .gov, national budget records, and official programme documentation.
Key findings:
✂️ 396 education programmes were cancelled across 58 countries, including early childhood education, foundational literacy, vocational training and access to higher education.
💰 More than $1.02 billion in annual funding was withdrawn. In 2023, USAID managed over 75% of all US international education investments.
📍 Top five recipient countries (2022–2024):
• Jordan 🇯🇴 – $402.5 million
• Egypt 🇪🇬 – $191.2 million
• Lebanon 🇱🇧 – $161.6 million
• Afghanistan 🇦🇫 – $138.9 million
• Malawi 🇲🇼 – $81.7 million
These countries are among the most affected by the loss of USAID support. In 2024, USAID funding accounted for 12.9% of Afghanistan’s entire education budget and 8.1% of Jordan’s.
📚 Breakdown by sector (2023):
• 75% of USAID’s education portfolio supported primary education
• 17% supported higher education
• 8% supported technical and vocational education and training
Between 2011 and 2021, USAID foundational skills programmes reached 246 million students in 53 countries.
🧑🏫 Main programme partners included:
• NGOs – 28.9%
• Universities and colleges – 21.2%
• Multilateral platforms (GPE, ECW) – 15.1%
• Government institutions – 11.1%
📉 Examples of cancelled programmes:
• Lebanon 🇱🇧 – QITABI 2 & 3 national reading programme – $99.5m
• Uganda 🇺🇬 – Integrated Child and Youth Development – $118.9m
• Malawi 🇲🇼 – NextGen Early Grade Reading – $74.9m
• Kenya 🇰🇪 – Primary Literacy Programme – $79.5m
• Afghanistan 🇦🇫 – Access to Quality Basic Education (AQBE) – $49m
• Zambia 🇿🇲 – Let’s Read – $49m
USAID was the largest bilateral donor to Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and one of the biggest contributors to the Global Partnership for Education. It also supported collaborative efforts such as BE2, the Coalition for Foundational Learning, and a number of research, innovation and data-sharing initiatives across multiple regions.
📊 The report includes regional breakdowns, funding patterns, and detailed analysis of the systems-level impact — particularly for low- and middle-income countries reliant on long-term bilateral support.
It concludes with recommendations for global coordination, including increased EU leadership through Team Europe Initiatives and the Global Gateway.
A must read for anyone working in global education.
