$33.5 billion needed to restore Ukraine’s education and science sectors: RDNA5 results
Photo by Press Service
The updated Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5), undertaken jointly by the World Bank Group, the Government of Ukraine, the European Commission, and the United Nations, has been released.
The assessment covers four years of the full-scale invasion and shows that total direct damage to Ukraine has already exceeded USD 195 billion. The housing, transport, and energy sectors have suffered the most. The total cost of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction over the next decade is estimated at nearly USD 588 billion.
The education and science sectors have also sustained significant losses. Total damage is estimated at USD 13.9 billion, covering infrastructure and assets across all subsectors — from early childhood education to research institutions. The most severe damage has been recorded in research infrastructure, higher education institutions, and schools, particularly in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions, as well as in the city of Kyiv.
For the full recovery and reconstruction of the education and science sector in 2026–2035, total needs are estimated at USD 33.5 billion. Priority areas for support include:
reconstruction of education institutions;
restoration of in-person learning through the construction and modernization of shelters and the introduction of temporary solutions to ensure access to face-to-face education;
comprehensive learning loss recovery — improving teaching practices, implementing flexible catch-up programs, and providing psychosocial support.
Photo by Press Service
“When we talk about the losses inflicted by russia on Ukraine’s education and science system, we are not just talking about destroyed buildings. It is about limited access to learning, missed opportunities, and educational losses that affect children’s future incomes and the country’s economic potential — and these losses continue to grow as the war goes on. That is why rebuilding education is a shared responsibility of the democratic world, and our task is not just to restore what was destroyed, but to make the system stronger, more modern, and more resilient than it was before the war. I am grateful to all international partners supporting Ukraine, because investing in education is an investment in people and in the long-term capacity of the state,” said Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.
“Despite the scale of damage, which continues to grow and affects Ukraine’s people, economy, and infrastructure, the entire country continues to move forward with extraordinary strength and determination,” said Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank. “The World Bank Group remains firmly committed to supporting Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, and to helping the people of Ukraine create jobs, opportunities, and hope for a resilient, modern, and competitive economy.”
The Fifth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment is available via the link.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is inviting partners to join efforts in the recovery and modernization of education and science — the foundation of Ukraine’s resilience and long-term development.