Global Child Povertyโ Crisis Deepens: UNICEF Report reveals 417 million Lack Essential Services
New York – A new โreport from UNICEF,โข The State ofโ the World’s Children 2025, reveals a staggering 417โ million โchildrenโ – roughly one in five – in low-โค andโ middle-income countries are deprived of at least two basicโฃ services โคcritical for their health, progress, and well-being. The report, based on data from over โ130 countries, assesses multidimensional poverty by examining gaps in education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, and water access.
UNICEF’s analysis indicates 118 million โขchildren face deficiencies in three or more of these areas, with a furtherโ 17โ million lacking access to four or more. The crisis is notably acute in sub-Saharan Africa and South โasia,where โขsanitation is theโข most prevalent deficiency; 65 percent of โchildren in โฃlow-income countries lackโ access to toilet facilities.
The reportโ warns that cutsโ to international aid could have devastating consequences, potentially leading to the deaths โฃof 4.5 million children under the age of โฃfive by 2030. โUNICEF estimates that reduced funding also puts six million children atโข risk of dropping out ofโค school nextโฃ year.
Beyond basic services, the report highlights the impact of income poverty, with over 19 percent of the world’s children – nearly 90 โpercent of whom reside inโ sub-Saharan africa and South Asia – โฃliving on less than $3 USD per day.
The crisis isn’t limited to โdeveloping nations. An analysis of 37 high-income countries reveals approximately 50 million children live in relative poverty,facing limitedโ opportunities due โคto household incomeโ disparities.While โคoverall child poverty decreased by 2.5 percent in these countries between 2013โ and 2023,progress has โฃstalled,and even reversed,in some areas. France, Switzerland, and Grate Britain saw poverty rates increase by over 20 percent during that period, while Slovenia experienced a decrease of over 25 percent, attributed โคto robust family benefit systems andโ minimum wage legislation.
