Does Education Lead to Pacification?

The review finds a general scholarly consensus that higher levels of education have a pacifying effect on civil conflict, though this relationship is complex and varies by the type of violence. While low education is often linked to recruitment in civil wars, higher education levels are frequently observed among terrorists and genocide perpetrators. The authors highlight that inter-group educational inequalities—particularly along ethnic and religious lines—significantly increase conflict risks, whereas rapid expansions in tertiary education do not appear to drive destabilization. The document concludes that while education generally promotes peace, its impact is mediated by factors such as regime type, gender equality, and the specific nature of the political violence.

• There is a broad empirical consensus that higher average levels of education in a population generally reduce the risk of armed conflict.
• Secondary education, particularly for males, is identified as one of the most effective indicators for reducing conflict risk.
• Systematic educational inequalities between identity groups, such as ethnic or religious groups, are strongly associated with increased risks of political violence.
• Contrary to some theoretical concerns, the rapid expansion of tertiary (higher) education does not generally lead to increased civil conflict, riots, or urban violence.
• Micro-level evidence suggests a divergence in recruitment patterns: low education is linked to civil war combatants, while higher education is often found among terrorists and genocide perpetrators.
• Gender equality in education is linked to lower levels of intrastate armed conflict.
• The pacifying effect of education may be mediated by the political regime, with some evidence suggesting it is more effective in democracies.
• There is a significant lack of quantitative data and research regarding the impact of educational quality and curricular content on political violence.

APA

Østby, G., Urdal, H., & Dupuy, K. (n.d.). Does Education Lead to Pacification? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a0f47a15-035f-4348-8a43-b70b2139a2dd/Does Education Lead to Pacification A Systematic Review of Statistical Studies on Education and Political Violence.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Østby, Gudrun, Henrik Urdal, and Kendra Dupuy. Does Education Lead to Pacification? Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a0f47a15-035f-4348-8a43-b70b2139a2dd/Does Education Lead to Pacification A Systematic Review of Statistical Studies on Education and Political Violence.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Østby |first1=Gudrun |last2=Urdal |first2=Henrik |last3=Dupuy |first3=Kendra |title=Does Education Lead to Pacification? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a0f47a15-035f-4348-8a43-b70b2139a2dd/Does Education Lead to Pacification A Systematic Review of Statistical Studies on Education and Political Violence.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stbynddoes, author = {Østby, Gudrun and Urdal, Henrik and Dupuy, Kendra}, title = {{Does Education Lead to Pacification?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a0f47a15-035f-4348-8a43-b70b2139a2dd/Does Education Lead to Pacification A Systematic Review of Statistical Studies on Education and Political Violence.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }