Child poverty
What you need to know about child poverty and UNICEF's work to tackle it
Around the world, 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 or healthcare. 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 $3 a day.
But poverty is more than a dollar figure, especially through the eyes of a child. Children experience poverty when they don’t get the nutrition, water, shelter, education or healthcare they need to survive and thrive. This is called “multidimensional poverty” and describes a deprivation of multiple basic rights.
Multidimensional child poverty can be captured at the individual level – accounting for various fundamental needs not being met for any one child. Alternatively, poverty assessments based on income usually look at the entire household.
How many children live in poverty?
Child poverty is a global issue. It occurs in low-, middle- and high-income countries to varying degrees and consequences.
Nearly 900 million children worldwide experience multidimensional poverty – meaning they lack necessities like food, water, shelter, education and healthcare.
Some 412 million children live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $3 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.
What are the consequences of child poverty?
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 socioeconomic 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?
Across more than 190 countries and territories, UNICEF provides social protection, education, health and nutrition services to the most disadvantaged children. We bring clean water and sanitation to those in need, and help keep them safe from disease.
Before, during and after emergencies, we’re on the ground with life-saving aid – including cash transfer programmes that let parents meet the immediate needs of their children.
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.
As co-chair (with Save the Children) of the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty, UNICEF plays a leading role in raising awareness about child poverty and accelerating global efforts to tackle it. Read the Global Coalition paper: What Works to Reduce Child Poverty? Insights from Across the Globe.