Afghanistan could face a shortfall of more than 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030 if current restrictions on girls` education and women`s employment persist, the UN Children`s Fund (UNICEF) warned in a report released Tuesday.

The projected losses - including up to 20,000 teachers and 5,400 health workers - threaten to undermine two sectors that rely heavily on women and are already under strain, according to the analysis.

The report, The Cost of Inaction on Girls` Education and Women`s Labour Force Participation in Afghanistan, describes a compounding crisis in which the country is simultaneously losing trained female professionals while preventing a new generation from entering the workforce.

That dynamic is already visible in the education system. The number of female teachers declined from about 72,963 in 2022 to roughly 66,208 in 2024, even as demand for schooling remains high. The shortage disproportionately affects girls, who are more likely to attend and stay in school when female teachers are present.

At the same time, access to health care - particularly for women - is expected to deteriorate. Cultural norms in many parts of Afghanistan limit women`s access to male health providers, making female doctors, nurses and midwives essential. A shrinking workforce could reduce access to maternal and child health services, the report said, with long-term consequences.

The pipeline of future professionals is also narrowing sharply. According to UNICEF, in 2024, an estimated 3.8 million girls aged 7 to 18 - about 61 percent of that age group - were out of school, including more than 2.6 million adolescent girls. Since the suspension of girls` secondary education in 2021, at least one million girls have been directly affected, with the number expected to exceed two million by 2030 if restrictions remain in place.

Each year of continued limits is projected to prevent roughly 250,000 girls from progressing beyond primary school, effectively excluding them from skilled employment in the future, UNICEF said.

The economic effects are already measurable. UNICEF estimates that restricting women`s education and participation in the workforce is costing Afghanistan at least 5.3 billion afghanis, or about $84 million, annually - roughly 0.5 percent of the country`s gross domestic product. The losses could grow over time as fewer educated women enter the labor market.

More broadly, the report warns that Afghanistan`s fragile economic recovery - following sharp contraction between 2020 and 2022 - could be undermined by the erosion of human capital. While growth has returned modestly since 2023, it remains vulnerable to structural weaknesses, including limited labor force participation and declining productivity.

The consequences extend beyond the economy. The analysis links lower levels of female education to poorer health outcomes for children. Data cited in the report show that children born to mothers with little or no education are significantly less likely to receive vaccinations and more likely to experience stunting. Stunting rates among children under 5 are projected to rise from 44.7 percent to 45.6 percent, affecting thousands more children.

The report also highlights broader social pressures. UNICEF says that an estimated 21.9 million people - about 45 percent of Afghanistan`s population - are expected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026, including nearly 8 million children. Large-scale returns of migrants from Iran and Pakistan have added to the strain on already limited services.

Women`s participation in public life has also declined. UNICEF says the share of women in the civil service fell from 21 percent in 2023 to 17.7 percent in 2025, despite women making up nearly half the population.

Catherine Russell, UNICEF`s executive director, said the restrictions risk long-term damage to the country`s development. "Afghanistan cannot afford to lose future teachers, nurses, doctors, midwives and social workers," she said, urging the Taliban to lift limits on girls` education.

The report concludes that the costs of inaction are cumulative. It says that without policy changes, the loss of educated women and skilled workers is expected to weaken public services, reduce economic growth and deepen intergenerational poverty.