Child poverty
What you need to know about child poverty and UNICEF's work to tackle it
- English
- Македонски
- Shqip
Around the world, including in North Macedonia, children are more likely to live in poverty than adults. They are also more vulnerable to its effects.
Children may experience poverty across multiple dimensions – whether deprived of shelter, food, water, education, health care or protection. Growing up without these necessities is a violation of a child's rights, with consequences that can last a lifetime.
What is child poverty?
Poverty can be defined across multiple dimensions, using various measurements. Globally, living in “extreme poverty” means surviving on less than $2.15 a day. In North Macedonia, monetary poverty is measured as the share of people whose income is significantly lower compared to the standards of living of most of the population.
But, poverty is more than an amount of money, especially through the eyes of a child. Children experience poverty when they don’t get the nutrition, water, shelter, education or health care they need to survive and thrive. This is called “multidimensional poverty” and describes a deprivation of multiple basic rights.
In North Macedonia, UNICEF introduced a Multidimensional Child Poverty Index that includes twelve dimensions: nutrition, access to water and sanitation, health, housing, education, information, other social services, care and love, safety, freedom from exploitation, early childhood development and material wellbeing. It is designed to help policy makers plan well-targeted, effective and efficient policies to reduce and eliminate child poverty.
How many children live in poverty?
In North Macedonia, approximately 120,000 children, or every third child, live in monetary poverty.
Child poverty is a global issue. It occurs in low-, middle- and high-income countries to varying degrees and consequences.
Roughly 1 billion children worldwide experience multidimensional poverty – meaning they lack necessities like food, water, shelter, education and health care.
Some 333 million children live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $2.15 each day. While extreme poverty is an issue increasingly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, even in some of the world’s wealthiest countries, millions of children are affected by poverty.
In North Macedonia, approximately 120,000 children, or every third child, live in monetary poverty. Every second household with 3 and more children and with single parents is living in poverty.
When it comes to multidimensional poverty, a UNICEF study concluded that deprivations in education, early childhood development, nutrition, safety, and love and care are among the top 5 contributors to the child poverty in North Macedonia. Roma children, are three times more likely to experience multidimensional poverty compared to the overall child population. Two regions, the East and the Southeast, have a high prevalence of multidimensional poverty, and the Polog and Skopje regions also show high vulnerability.
What are the consequences of child poverty?
Ending child poverty is a policy choice.
The effects of experiencing poverty in childhood are grave. Growing up deprived of any basic need – from nutrition to shelter to education – hinders children’s physical and cognitive development, limiting their social and economic opportunities as adults.
Worldwide, children from the poorest households are twice as likely to die compared to their better-off peers. For those living through humanitarian crises like armed conflict or natural disaster, the risks of deprivation surge. Even in the world’s richest countries, around one in five children still live in poverty.
No matter where they are, children who grow up in poverty suffer from poor living standards, develop fewer skills for the workforce, and earn lower wages as adults. This is why, in the absence of sufficient programmes to address it, poverty tends to persist from one generation to the next.
Is it possible to address child poverty?
Yes, ending child poverty is a policy choice. There is no shortage of evidence on how we can address it.
With the right priorities, policies and programmes, governments can tackle child poverty in all its dimensions. Social protection programmes – like cash transfers, health insurance, education fee waivers, and maternity benefits – help give every child an equitable chance in life.
How does UNICEF tackle child poverty?
At the national, regional and global levels, UNICEF works with governments and other partners to help countries measure and address child poverty in all its forms.
In partnership with the World Bank, we produce global statistics on extreme child poverty that guide decision-makers towards effective policies and programmes. Our research and advocacy also help governments make smarter investments in the social services that matter most for children.
That’s why UNICEF promotes the expansion of child benefits and other social protection programmes, which have been shown in various countries and contexts to improve children’s health, education and nutrition. We also support governments in the implementation of family-friendly policies that enhance the well-being not only of children, but of caregivers too.
As co-chair, together with Save the Children, of the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty, UNICEF plays a lead role in raising awareness about child poverty and accelerating global efforts to tackle it.