Looking beyond household finances to examine how individuals, families, communities and nations contribute to impact children's experiences of poverty.
Who is most at risk of child poverty?
The world’s youngest children experience higher rates of poverty than older ones.
Children with disabilities, children living in rural areas, and indigenous children experience higher rates of poverty than other children.
Historic levels of conflict are also driving more children into poverty, with half of all children in fragile and conflict-affected settings living in extreme poverty.
Children who are displaced or refugees, though often undercounted, face heightened poverty risk both in transit and upon arrival.
Where is child poverty most common?
Together, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia account for almost 9 out of 10 children living in extreme monetary poverty.
Such concentration in these two regions is no reason for complacency elsewhere. Substantial levels of child poverty exist around the world, even in countries that are now considered relatively well off.
In high-income countries, about 50 million children live in monetary poverty, meaning their household has significantly less income than the average in their community. Learn more about child poverty in high-income countries.
Are we making progress to end child poverty?
While far too many children still live in poverty, the world has made significant progress. In this century, the share of children living in severe deprivation has fallen by a third. Countries that have seen progress have made ending child poverty a national priority and worked to embed children’s rights in national policies and economic planning.
But the COVID-19 pandemic brought much of this progress to a halt, and recovery has been sluggish. The world remains far short of its poverty reduction goals.
Sudden cuts in official development assistance risk deepening child deprivation in many low- and middle-income countries. And the challenges brought on by conflicts, climate crisis, and economic shocks threaten further derailment.
Without decisive action, we risk losing momentum in the fight against child poverty. Further stagnation or setbacks could consign millions more children to deprivation.
Understanding poverty requires looking beyond household finances to examine how individuals, families, communities and nations contribute to impact children's experiences of poverty.
The world’s youngest children experience higher rates of poverty than older ones.
Children with disabilities, children living in rural areas, and indigenous children experience higher rates of poverty than other children.
Historic levels of conflict are also driving more children into poverty, with half of all children in fragile and conflict-affected settings living in extreme poverty.
Children who are displaced or refugees, though often undercounted, face heightened poverty risk both in transit and upon arrival.
Where is child poverty most common?
Together, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia account for almost 9 out of 10 children living in extreme monetary poverty.
Such concentration in these two regions is no reason for complacency elsewhere. Substantial levels of child poverty exist around the world, even in countries that are now considered relatively well off.
In high-income countries, about 50 million children live in monetary poverty, meaning their household has significantly less income than the average in their community. Learn more about child poverty in high-income countries.
Are we making progress to end child poverty?
While far too many children still live in poverty, the world has made significant progress. In this century, the share of children living in severe deprivation has fallen by a third. Countries that have seen progress have made ending child poverty a national priority and worked to embed children’s rights in national policies and economic planning.
But the COVID-19 pandemic brought much of this progress to a halt, and recovery has been sluggish. The world remains far short of its poverty reduction goals.
Sudden cuts in official development assistance risk deepening child deprivation in many low- and middle-income countries. And the challenges brought on by conflicts, climate crisis, and economic shocks threaten further derailment.
Without decisive action, we risk losing momentum in the fight against child poverty. Further stagnation or setbacks could consign millions more children to deprivation.
Understanding poverty requires looking beyond household finances to examine how individuals, families, communities and nations contribute to impact children's experiences of poverty.
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