The State of the World’s Children report, 2025

Why in news?

Recently, UNICEF has released  “The State of the World’s Children 2025: Ending Child Poverty – Our Shared Imperative” report on World Children’s Day (November 20, 2025).

Key findings of the report

• Global context – More than 1 in 5 children in low and middle-income countries (about 400 million globally) are severely deprived in at least two basic needs out of 6 - education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, clean water.
  • Substantial levels of child poverty exist around the world, even in high income countries (around 50 million children live in poverty).
• Extreme (Monetary) poverty – 412 million children live on less than US$3 per day.

Monetary poverty - A state where an individual or household's income or spending falls below a set poverty line, leaving them without sufficient financial resources to meet a minimum standard of living.

• Geographical concentration – Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia account for almost 9 out of 10 children living in extreme poverty.
• Vulnerable groups – Young children, those with disabilities, and children in conflict or climate crisis zones are most at risk.
• Major barriers in ending child poverty - Climate & environmental crises, conflict, and underfunding.
• India specific insights –
  • 1 in 5 of the world’s children or approximately 460 million children under 18 years of age, lives in India.
  • Scale of deprivation – More than half of 460 million Indian children (about 206 million) lack access to at least one of 6 basic services.
  • Out of the 206 million Indian children - 62 million, lack access to two or more basic services.
  • National Multidimensional Poverty Index - 248 million people escaped multidimensional poverty between 2013-23 (Poverty dropped from 29.2% to 11.3%).
  • Flagship schemes praised – Poshan Abhiyaan, Samagra Shiksha, PM-KISAN, Mid-Day Meal, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swachh Bharat.

References

1. The Hindu | State of the World’s Children 2025 report
2. UNICEF | State of the World’s Children report
3. New Indian Express | State of the World’s Children report