While governments have a duty to respect, protect and fulfil their citizens’ right to education, a wide range of non-state actors with a variety of forms, arrangements and motivation, from charity to profit, play a significant role in many education systems. This regional report focuses on South Asia, the world region with the strongest presence of non-state actors in education, and looks at their activities, primarily through the lens of equity and inclusion. It covers nine countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Building on the 2021/2 Global Education Monitoring Report, this report draws extensively on data collection and expert analysis from collaborations with several institutional and individual partners from the region. The report has tried to triangulate multiple perspectives on the roles and contributions of non-state actors in education. A series of country studies on provision, regulation, finance and influence were commissioned as well as five thematic studies on low-fee private schools; regulation of school education and supplementary tuition; public–private partnerships in skills development; teacher education; and ancillary services. The six partners involved in publishing this report collectively conducted over 450 interviews and 4 focus group discussions for their research. Surveys on perceptions of desired roles of non-state actors in education were administered to some 250 state and non-state respondents.