More than one in five children in low- and middle-income countries—around 417 million—are severely deprived in at least two essential areas crucial for their health and development, according to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2025 report released on World Children’s Day. Drawing on data from over 130 countries, the report assesses multidimensional poverty across education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, and water. It reveals that millions of children face multiple simultaneous deprivations, with 118 million affected in at least three areas and 17 million in four or more.
Although the proportion of children experiencing severe deprivation dropped from 51 per cent in 2013 to 41 per cent in 2023, progress is slowing. Ongoing conflicts, climate and environmental crises, demographic pressures, rising national debt, and widening technological divides are intensifying poverty and limiting children’s opportunities. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia bear the highest burden, and sanitation remains the most widespread deprivation, affecting large shares of children across income groups.
The report also highlights the constraints posed by monetary poverty, noting that more than 19 per cent of children globally live in extreme monetary poverty on less than US$3 per day, with the vast majority in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In high-income countries, around 50 million children live in relative monetary poverty, and while some nations have reduced child poverty rates over the past decade, others—including France, Switzerland, and the UK—have seen significant increases.
UNICEF emphasises that ending child poverty is achievable if countries prioritise child rights in policymaking and economic planning. The report calls for stronger social protection systems, increased access to essential services, and improved employment opportunities for caregivers. However, declining development aid poses a serious threat, with projections suggesting millions of additional child deaths and school dropouts if funding cuts continue.
