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More than 1 in 5 children in low- and middle-income countries – or 417 million – are severely deprived in at least two vital areas critical for their health, development, and wellbeing, according to UNICEF’s flagship report issued on World Children’s Day today.
According to UNICEF, more than 400 million children globally live in poverty, missing out on at least two daily needs such as nutrition and sanitation.New report warns more children are at risk of falling into poverty as global funding cuts, conflict and climate threaten access to services crucial for health and wellbeing
More than 1 in 5 children in low- and middle-income countries – or 417 million – are severely deprived in at least two vital areas critical for their health, development, and wellbeing, according to UNICEF’s flagship report issued on World Children’s Day today.
The State of the World’s Children 2025: Ending Child Poverty – Our Shared Imperative draws on data from over 130 low- and middle-income countries to assess the breadth of multidimensional poverty by measuring deprivations across six categories: Education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, and water. The analysis shows that 118 million children experience three or more deprivations, and 17 million face four or more deprivations.
The highest rates of multidimensional poverty among children are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In Chad, for example, 64 per cent of children face two or more severe deprivations, and just under 25 percent face three or more.
Sanitation is the most widespread severe deprivation, with 65 per cent of children lacking access to a toilet in low-income countries, 26 percent in lower-middle income countries, and 11 per cent in upper-middle income countries. A lack of adequate sanitation can increase children’s exposure to diseases.
The share of children facing one or more severe deprivations in low-and-middle-income countries dropped from 51 percent in 2013 to 41 per cent in 2023, largely due to prioritizing child rights in national policies and economic planning. However, progress is stalling.
Conflict, climate and environmental crises, demographic shifts, mounting national debt and widening technological divides are compounding poverty. At the same time, unprecedented cuts to Official Development Assistance (ODA) risk deepening child deprivation across low- and middle-income countries.
Yet progress towards ending child poverty is possible. For example, Tanzania achieved a 46-percentage point reduction in multidimensional child poverty between 2000 and 2023, partially driven by government cash support grants, and empowering poor households to make their own financial decisions. Poverty undermines children’s health, development, and learning – leading to weaker job prospects, shorter lifespans, and increased rates of depression and anxiety.
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The report highlights that the youngest children, those with disabilities, and those living in crises are particularly vulnerable. The report also examines monetary poverty, which further limits children’s access to food, education, and health services.
