"Unable to learn even the basic reading and writing skills, they are at risk of losing their futures and missing out on the opportunity to contribute to their economies and societies when they reach adulthood," Said UNICEF Chief of Education Jo Bourne in a statement accompanying the report.
South Sudan is home to the highest proportion of out of school children, with 51 percent of primary and lower secondary age children not accessing an education. Niger is a close second, with 47 percent unable to attend school, followed by Sudan with 41 percent and Afghanistan with 40 percent, according to the report.
The report noted that nearly 24 million of the 109.2 million children of primary and lower secondary school age living in conflict zones, are missing out on their education.
UNICEF defines school age children as those typically between the ages of six and fifteen.