State of the World's Children 2024

Highlights

In many ways, the world of 2050 will be very different from today’s. It will be a world where, in many high-income countries, children will account for a relatively small share of the population. As we move further into the twenty-first century, the future of childhood will increasingly be in Africa: By 2100, there will be more children on the African continent than anywhere else in the world.

Are we ready for such a world? Africa has made important gains for children in recent decades, but major issues persist, particularly the learning crisis. If Africa does not do more to develop the skills and enormous potential of its children and young people, it risks squandering the possibility of the demographic dividend. 

Recruiting and training more teachers and equipping them and their students with advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), may help bridge these learning gaps by 2050. But that potential has not yet been realized.

The challenges facing children and their communities will not be confined to a single continent – they will be global. Overcoming them – and ensuring a bright, secure future for every child – will be made still more challenging by another of the megatrends detailed in this report: the climate and environmental crises.

Sadly, this is not just a future problem: UNICEF estimates that in recent years, the equivalent of about 20,000 children a day worldwide have been displaced by floods and storms exacerbated by climate change. These numbers will only grow, as will the many other deadly impacts of climate change on children’s health and development and on their communities.