Not Only Women: Male Students and Teachers Are Also Disappearing from Afghan Universities, UN Report Finds

A new report by the United Nations children's fund and its education, science and culture agency shows how sharply Afghanistan's higher education system has shrunk. According to the report, the number of male students at the country's universities has fallen by about a third in 2026 compared with 2019. Over the same period, women's access to higher education has been shut off completely, and the number of teachers has also dropped significantly.

According to estimates in the report, titled ‘The State of Education in Afghanistan 2026’, about 306,000 male students were enrolled in higher education institutions in 2019. By 2026 that number had fallen to about 208,000. In seven years, roughly 100,000 male students have moved outside higher education.

The picture for women is starker still. In 2019, about 119,000 women were enrolled in higher education in the country. By 2022 the figure had fallen to 89,000. In 2023 it dropped to almost zero. The report says that since 2024, no enrolment of women students has been recorded at the universities at all.

The background to this decline is well known. After returning to power in 2021, Afghanistan's Taliban authorities imposed a ban on women attending university in December 2022. As a result, the country's women have been deprived of access to formal higher education — a reality reflected in this unbroken series of falling numbers.

The report stresses, however, that the contraction of Afghanistan's higher education system is not limited to the restrictions imposed on women. Participation by male students has also fallen markedly, pointing to a crisis across the whole system.

The report identifies several reasons behind the fall in male students. They include financial hardship among families, limited employment opportunities for graduates, and the economic distress of private universities. Uncertainty over whether a degree will lead to a job is discouraging many families from choosing university at all.

Analysts say the combined effect of these pressures is increasing the strain on the country's higher education system and limiting students' ability to continue at university. Families under financial pressure are being forced to prioritise earning over studying.

The fall in teacher numbers is also alarming. According to the report, about 18,900 professors and lecturers were working at Afghan universities in 2019. By 2025 that number had fallen to about 12,700 — a drop of roughly a third in six years.

The decline is far sharper among women teachers. In 2019, about 2,600 women professors and lecturers worked at the country's universities. By 2023 the figure had fallen to about 1,100, and in 2024 it dropped to 800. According to the report, by 2025 the number of women teachers at Afghan universities was only slightly above 100.

The two UN agencies warn that excluding women from higher education will not remain confined to universities. It could also shrink women's participation in professional fields including healthcare, education and research. If the pipeline of women doctors, teachers and researchers is broken, the effects will be felt across society.

According to the report, the education, science and culture agency estimates that if restrictions on women's participation in higher education continue, the total loss to Afghanistan's economy could reach about $9.6 billion by 2066 — a direct blow to the country's long-term growth.

The report also expresses concern about the country's future workforce. If women's educational opportunities remain limited, shortages of skilled and qualified professionals could emerge in healthcare, education and other key sectors. With male enrolment also falling, the alternative routes to filling those gaps are narrowing too.

Declines in both student enrolment and teacher numbers have deepened concern about the capacity of Afghanistan's higher education system. With fewer students and fewer teachers, maintaining quality, producing skilled professionals and meeting future workforce needs could all become harder, the report concludes.