Nearly 385 million children living in extreme poverty, says joint World Bank Group – UNICEF study
NEW YORK 03 October 2016 – Children are more than twice as
likely as adults to live in extreme poverty, according to a new analysis
from the World Bank Group and UNICEF. Ending Extreme Poverty: A Focus on Children finds
that in 2013 19.5 per cent of children in developing countries were
living in households that survived on an average of US$1.90 a day or
less per person, compared to just 9.2 per cent of adults. Globally,
almost 385 million children were living in extreme poverty.
Children are disproportionately affected, as they make up around a third of the population studied, but half of the extreme poor. The youngest children are the most at risk – with more than one-fifth of children under the age of five in the developing world living in extremely poor households.
“Children are not only more likely to be living in extreme poverty; the effects of poverty are most damaging to children. They are the worst off of the worst off – and the youngest children are the worst off of all, because the deprivations they suffer affect the development of their bodies and their minds,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “It is shocking that half of all children in sub-Saharan Africa and one in five children in developing countries are growing up in extreme poverty. This not only limits their futures, it drags down their societies.”
The new analysis comes on the heels of the release of the World Bank Group’s new flagship study, Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2016: Taking on Inequality, which found that some 767 million people globally were living on less than $1.90 per day in 2013, half of them under the age of 18.
“The sheer number of children in extreme poverty points to a real need to invest specifically in the early years—in services such as pre-natal care for pregnant mothers, early childhood development programs, quality schooling, clean water, good sanitation, and universal health care,” said Ana Revenga, Senior Director, Poverty and Equity at the World Bank Group. “Improving these services, and ensuring that today’s children can access quality job opportunities when the time comes, is the only way to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty that is so widespread today.”
The global estimate of extreme child poverty is based on data from 89 countries, representing 83 per cent of the developing world’s population.
Sub-Saharan Africa has both the highest rates of children living in extreme poverty at just under 50 per cent, and the largest share of the world’s extremely poor children, at just over 50 per cent. South Asia has the second highest share at nearly 36 per cent—with over 30 per cent of extremely poor children living in India alone. More than four out of five children in extreme poverty live in rural areas.
In addition, the report reveals that even at higher thresholds, poverty also affects children disproportionately. About 45 per cent of children are living in households subsisting on less than $3.10 a day per person, compared with nearly 27 per cent of adults.
UNICEF and the World Bank Group are calling on governments to:
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
About the World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world as we work together to end extreme poverty by 2030 and boost shared prosperity in every country. We’re the world’s largest external financier of education, the largest external funder of the fight against HIV/AIDS, and the largest international financier of biodiversity projects, water supply and sanitation projects. Along with our 189 member countries, we’re working to confront the most pressing development challenges around the world. For more information about the World Bank Group, visit www.worldbank.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
A quarter of a billion children across the globe may not achieve
their full potential because of extreme poverty and stunting, says a
series of papers published in The Lancet.
Preschool programs can help children build a better future.
More children are now surviving into adulthood, but around 43 percent of
those in low- and middle-income countries risk not fulfilling their
potential.
The authors of the research, entitled Series on Early Childhood Development, call for more policies and programs to support early child development, calling this a "wise investment."
When children do not fulfill their developmental potential, their adult earning capacity can be up to 25 percent lower, and the cost to governments in the long run may be double the amount they normally spend on national healthcare.
Problems faced by children during the all-important 1,000 first days of life, starting from conception, include poor sanitation and infections, and a lack of nurturing care and stimulation.
The study highlights the role played by nurturing care in enabling children to reach their full potential. Nurturing care is the kind of care that promotes nutrition, health, security, safety, and early learning.
Policies that can help families to provide this kind of care include free early schooling, paid maternity and paternity leave, breast-feeding facilities, and a minimum wage.
However, those in the informal sector may not enjoy such benefits. Paid paternity leave is offered in only 77 countries.
Again, this is not guaranteed in the informal sector, and women in workplaces where there is nowhere to use a breast milk pump and no refrigeration may not be able to benefit.
Series co-author Prof. Gary Darmstadt, of Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, CA, calls for nurturing care to be made a priority in countries around the world. "The cost of inaction is huge," he says.
In 2010, 43 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries were at risk of poor development due to stunting and extreme poverty. In sub-Saharan Africa, the figure was 66 percent, in South Asia, 65 percent, and in the Caribbean and South America, 18 percent.
There is also a need for better nutrition for mothers and young children, mental health care for mothers, and strategies to protect children from violence and maltreatment.
While health services are well placed to reach children in at-risk populations, greater coordination is needed between sectors. Health, education, and social protection agencies should be working more closely together.
In a linked Comment, Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Anthony Lake, executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and Keith Hansen, vice president for human development at the World Bank note that not only children in low-income countries face these problems. In middle- and high-income countries, those growing up in disadvantaged households are also at risk.
They also call for stronger systems to be set up to help vulnerable communities to cope in the case of natural disasters, conflicts, violence, and fragility.
Read about how childhood poverty is linked to depression-related brain changes.
Children are disproportionately affected, as they make up around a third of the population studied, but half of the extreme poor. The youngest children are the most at risk – with more than one-fifth of children under the age of five in the developing world living in extremely poor households.
“Children are not only more likely to be living in extreme poverty; the effects of poverty are most damaging to children. They are the worst off of the worst off – and the youngest children are the worst off of all, because the deprivations they suffer affect the development of their bodies and their minds,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “It is shocking that half of all children in sub-Saharan Africa and one in five children in developing countries are growing up in extreme poverty. This not only limits their futures, it drags down their societies.”
The new analysis comes on the heels of the release of the World Bank Group’s new flagship study, Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2016: Taking on Inequality, which found that some 767 million people globally were living on less than $1.90 per day in 2013, half of them under the age of 18.
“The sheer number of children in extreme poverty points to a real need to invest specifically in the early years—in services such as pre-natal care for pregnant mothers, early childhood development programs, quality schooling, clean water, good sanitation, and universal health care,” said Ana Revenga, Senior Director, Poverty and Equity at the World Bank Group. “Improving these services, and ensuring that today’s children can access quality job opportunities when the time comes, is the only way to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty that is so widespread today.”
The global estimate of extreme child poverty is based on data from 89 countries, representing 83 per cent of the developing world’s population.
Sub-Saharan Africa has both the highest rates of children living in extreme poverty at just under 50 per cent, and the largest share of the world’s extremely poor children, at just over 50 per cent. South Asia has the second highest share at nearly 36 per cent—with over 30 per cent of extremely poor children living in India alone. More than four out of five children in extreme poverty live in rural areas.
In addition, the report reveals that even at higher thresholds, poverty also affects children disproportionately. About 45 per cent of children are living in households subsisting on less than $3.10 a day per person, compared with nearly 27 per cent of adults.
UNICEF and the World Bank Group are calling on governments to:
- Routinely measure child poverty at the national and subnational level and focus on children in national poverty reduction plans as part of efforts to end extreme poverty by 2030.
- Strengthen child-sensitive social protection systems, including cash transfer programs that directly help poor families to pay for food, health care, education and other services that protect children from the impact of poverty and improve their chances of breaking the cycle in their own lives.
- Prioritize investments in education, health, clean water, sanitation and infrastructure that benefit the poorest children, as well as those that help prevent people from falling back into poverty after setbacks like droughts, disease or economic instability.
- Shape policy decisions so that economic growth benefits the poorest children.
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
About the World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world as we work together to end extreme poverty by 2030 and boost shared prosperity in every country. We’re the world’s largest external financier of education, the largest external funder of the fight against HIV/AIDS, and the largest international financier of biodiversity projects, water supply and sanitation projects. Along with our 189 member countries, we’re working to confront the most pressing development challenges around the world. For more information about the World Bank Group, visit www.worldbank.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
Preschool programs can help children build a better future.
The authors of the research, entitled Series on Early Childhood Development, call for more policies and programs to support early child development, calling this a "wise investment."
When children do not fulfill their developmental potential, their adult earning capacity can be up to 25 percent lower, and the cost to governments in the long run may be double the amount they normally spend on national healthcare.
Problems faced by children during the all-important 1,000 first days of life, starting from conception, include poor sanitation and infections, and a lack of nurturing care and stimulation.
The study highlights the role played by nurturing care in enabling children to reach their full potential. Nurturing care is the kind of care that promotes nutrition, health, security, safety, and early learning.
Need to support nurturing care
Most children receive this care from their family, but poverty, violence, poor working conditions, and a lack of supporting policies can leave caregivers struggling to provide adequate nurturing care.Policies that can help families to provide this kind of care include free early schooling, paid maternity and paternity leave, breast-feeding facilities, and a minimum wage.
Free early education
Children who attend preschool, especially those that provide both nutrition and education, do better in primary school. The report notes that 2 years of free preschool education is recommended, but only 40 countries provide this. Forty-three percent of countries provide 1 free year or more. Nearly 1 in 3 high-income countries do not provide free preschool education.Paid leave
Parental leave provides opportunities to bond with and care for young children. Only eight countries do not guarantee paid maternity leave. Most provide at least 12 weeks, with two thirds of wages.However, those in the informal sector may not enjoy such benefits. Paid paternity leave is offered in only 77 countries.
Breast-feeding facilities
Breast-feeding can protect a child from disease and improve cognitive function. In 139 countries, breast-feeding breaks are guaranteed for 6 months or more. In 43 countries, breaks are paid.Again, this is not guaranteed in the informal sector, and women in workplaces where there is nowhere to use a breast milk pump and no refrigeration may not be able to benefit.
Minimum wage
When parents earn a basic income, children are more likely to have access to healthcare and education. Eighty-eight percent of countries have minimum wage policies, but they do not necessarily guarantee that this income will be more than $2 a day, considered the poverty level for a parent supporting a child."Increasing numbers of children are surviving, but begin life at a disadvantage because they do not receive the nurturing care they need. Political prioritization, legislation and financing of early childhood development programs are key to ensuring their success, as is creating a policy environment that supports nurturing care, for instance by providing paid maternal and paternal leave, free preschool education and support for breastfeeding."Programs such as Early Head Start in the United States appear to be effective in supporting children. However, programs in many countries face a lack of resources and uncertain funding.
Series author Prof. Linda Richter, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Series co-author Prof. Gary Darmstadt, of Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, CA, calls for nurturing care to be made a priority in countries around the world. "The cost of inaction is huge," he says.
Effects of stunting and extreme poverty
Exposure to stunting and extreme poverty have been linked with lower cognitive and educational development, and ultimately, poorer health and a lower income in adulthood. Stunting is when a child's height is below accepted growth standards, normally due to inadequate nutrition.In 2010, 43 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries were at risk of poor development due to stunting and extreme poverty. In sub-Saharan Africa, the figure was 66 percent, in South Asia, 65 percent, and in the Caribbean and South America, 18 percent.
There is also a need for better nutrition for mothers and young children, mental health care for mothers, and strategies to protect children from violence and maltreatment.
While health services are well placed to reach children in at-risk populations, greater coordination is needed between sectors. Health, education, and social protection agencies should be working more closely together.
In a linked Comment, Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Anthony Lake, executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and Keith Hansen, vice president for human development at the World Bank note that not only children in low-income countries face these problems. In middle- and high-income countries, those growing up in disadvantaged households are also at risk.
They also call for stronger systems to be set up to help vulnerable communities to cope in the case of natural disasters, conflicts, violence, and fragility.
Read about how childhood poverty is linked to depression-related brain changes.
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