The Life You Can Save's 2026 Education Sector Report Finds 9 in 10 Children in Low-Income Countries Reach Age 10 Unable to Read

Addressing the global learning crisis will require smarter and more targeted investment in evidence-based approaches that strengthen foundational learning

SEATTLE, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Life You Can Save, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting extreme poverty, has released its 2026 Education Sector Report, identifying global education priorities and opportunities for directing philanthropic resources toward the most effective education interventions. The report takes into account global education and financing data, perspectives from 17 education specialists working across Sub-Saharan Africa and a review of evidence on effective interventions. Similar to The Life You Can Save's Health Sector Report published earlier this year, it will guide the organization's strategy from 2026 through 2028.

While primary enrollment has significantly improved over the past 20 years across much of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, gains in access have not always translated into gains in learning. In low-income countries, nine in 10 children reach age 10 unable to read and understand a simple text, a measure known as learning poverty. The persistence of learning poverty underscores a growing challenge in global education: ensuring children are not only in school, but actually learning.

At the same time, resources to address the crisis are declining. The annual financing gap to meet global education goals in low- and lower-middle-income countries stands at an estimated $97 billion, including $70 billion in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. Global education aid, which remained relatively steady at $12 to $13 billion annually between 2016 and 2023, is projected to fall to $9.2 billion by 2027. Private philanthropy currently contributes roughly $1 billion annually to education globally, less than 1% of the annual financing gap.

"Millions of children are spending years in school without acquiring the foundational skills they need to succeed, while the resources available to address this crisis are shrinking," said Bárbara Calixto, Interim CEO and Chief Marketing & Product Officer of The Life You Can Save. "The good news is that we know more than ever about what works. Our goal is to help donors direct resources toward evidence-based approaches that improve learning, strengthen the systems already serving children and create impact that lasts well beyond a single donation."

The funding decline is particularly consequential in low-income countries, where aid represents more than 12% of total education spending and governments spend an average of just $55 per school aged child annually on education. In some countries, recent aid cuts could reduce education budgets by as much as half.

To inform their strategy, The Life You Can Save consulted 17 education specialists between May and July 2026, including government-facing practitioners and researchers affiliated with organizations such as the Association for the Development of Education in Africa, Education Sub-Saharan Africa and the What Works Hub for Global Education. Experts identified primary education and education in emergencies as the areas most vulnerable to continued funding cuts. When asked where philanthropy can have the greatest potential for impact, experts consistently prioritized primary education, early childhood development and teacher coaching and support.

"The greatest opportunity is not simply to put more resources into education, but to make sure those resources strengthen what already works," said Miriam Broeks, PhD, Research and Evaluation Manager at The Life You Can Save. "By investing in teachers, improving classroom instruction and strengthening the capacity of education systems to deliver what works, philanthropy can help millions more children build the foundational skills they need, while laying the groundwork for effective approaches to be sustained and scaled over time."

The report identifies structured pedagogy and level-appropriate instruction as two of the most promising evidence-backed approaches to improving foundational learning. Structured pedagogy combines lesson plans with ongoing teacher coaching and has produced some of the largest and most consistent learning gains among education interventions studied. In Kenya, the government-delivered Tusome program reached more than 23,000 primary schools and increased the share of children reading at grade level by approximately 30 percentage points.

Meanwhile, level-appropriate instruction groups students according to their actual learning levels rather than their age or grade. The approach has been tested with more than 75,000 children across India and Sub-Saharan Africa, with evidence showing particularly strong results when programs are implemented faithfully. Top-performing programs using these approaches can deliver more than two learning-adjusted years of schooling for every $100 spent, making them among the most cost-effective interventions in international development.

Based on this evidence, The Life You Can Save currently recommends seven education organizations, including four added to its recommended portfolio in 2026 for their focus on foundational learning: Building Tomorrow, EIDU, Luminos and Youth Impact. The recommended organizations have estimated cost-effectiveness ranging from approximately 3.6 to 11 learning-adjusted years of schooling per $100 and work through or alongside government systems.

The report also identifies areas where further research is needed, including early childhood development, education technology and artificial intelligence, non-formal education and technical and vocational training. While these areas may offer significant opportunities to improve educational access and outcomes, The Life You Can Save will monitor the evidence on the impact and cost-effectiveness of interventions in these areas to inform future recommendations. Any expansion of their portfolio will only take place when there is a robust evidence base behind a given intervention and while prioritizing geographies with the greatest need. 

"Our research points to a clear opportunity for philanthropy: prioritize the foundational skills that enable children to succeed in every stage of education that follows," said Miriam Broeks. "At the same time, effective philanthropy requires discipline. Emerging areas such as technology, early childhood development and alternative pathways for older youth may hold promise, but donors should first ask where the evidence is strongest and where their resources can make the greatest difference."

Over the next three years, The Life You Can Save will focus on strengthening its existing foundational-learning portfolio, with greater emphasis on implementation quality, teacher support and building toward government ownership and long-term sustainability.

The report reflects The Life You Can Save's broader mission of helping donors maximize the impact of their giving. Since 2013, giving channeled through The Life You Can Save has directed more than $140 million to high-impact charities. Donors can support recommended education organizations directly, contribute to The Life You Can Save's Education Fund, which is allocated among recommended education organizations, or give to the Maximize Your Impact Fund, which allows the organization to direct funding to the areas where ongoing research identifies the strongest combination of need and evidence.

To view The Life You Can Save's full Education Sector Report or to donate, visit https://www.thelifeyoucansave.org/research/sector-reports/education-sector-report/.

About The Life You Can Save 
The Life You Can Save was founded to promote high-impact philanthropy, meaning giving that is research-based and cost-effective. Its mission is to improve the lives of people living in poverty by changing the way people think about and donate to charity. The team at The Life You Can Save does research to develop a list of recommended nonprofits delivering high-impact interventions across all of the dimensions of poverty. The Life You Can Save works to raise awareness of and connect donors with its recommended giving opportunities to increase the impact of giving. Through research and funds, The Life You Can Save offers a simplified donating process for individuals who want to maximize their impact in uplifting people experiencing extreme poverty.  Learn more about high-impact philanthropy at thelifeyoucansave.org.

LINK TO FINAL REPORT: HERE

SOURCE The Life You Can Save