Child Poverty: A Global Challenge to Overcome

Figures in constant evolution since the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, especially in countries at war.

With over two billion children in the world, 86% of whom are in developing countries, the alarming reality is that nearly one billion, or one in two children, live in poverty. Child poverty goes beyond financial aspects, manifesting itself in severe deprivations in the crucial areas of nutrition, education, and health.

Among the 90 million children suffering from severe nutritional deficiencies, or 16% of those under 5, access to adequate food remains a daily struggle. Similarly, 13% of children aged 7 to 18 have never attended school, with gender disparities (16% for girls and 10% for boys). More than a billion children experience at least one form of severe deprivation, and nearly 70% of them endure at least two, demonstrating the cumulative effect of these deprivations. Rural areas are particularly affected by this worrying reality.

Children, who make up a third of the study population, are paradoxically half of those living in extreme poverty. The youngest are the most vulnerable, with more than a fifth of children under five living in extremely poor households.

UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake emphasizes that not only are children more likely to live in extreme poverty, but they also experience its most adverse effects. This reality hinders children's physical and mental development, posing major challenges for their future.

This analysis comes in the context of a new study by the World Bank Group, which reveals that nearly 767 million people worldwide lived on less than US$1.90 a day in 2013, half of them under the age of 18.

Ana Revenga, Senior Director of the World Bank Group's Poverty and Inequality Reduction Practice, emphasizes the critical need to invest in early childhood, prenatal care, early childhood development, quality education, access to clean water, adequate sanitation, and universal health care coverage. Breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty requires significant improvements in these services to provide today's children with quality employment opportunities.

The global assessment of extreme child poverty is based on data from 89 countries, representing 83% of the developing world's population.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of children living in extreme poverty, nearly 501,000, and also accounts for the largest share of extremely poor children in the world, exceeding 501,000. South Asia ranks second, with approximately 361,000, including more than 301,000 in India alone. More than four out of five children living in extreme poverty reside in rural areas.

The report highlights that even at higher thresholds, poverty continues to disproportionately affect children. Approximately 45% of children live in households subsisting on less than US$3.10 per day per person, compared to nearly 27% of adults.

UNICEF and the World Bank Group call on governments to regularly measure child poverty, strengthen social protection systems, prioritize investments in education, health, clean water, sanitation, and infrastructure that benefit the poorest children, and guide policy decisions so that economic growth benefits the poorest children. Together with their partners, they commit to breaking cycles of poverty and promoting early childhood development through a diverse range of programs, from cash transfers to nutrition, health care, and education.