Latest Data Reveals 1.4 Billion Children Worldwide Lack Basic Social Protection

New data released by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Save the Children, and UNICEF reveals that globally, 1.4 billion children aged 0-15 lack any form of social protection, leaving them vulnerable to disease, poor nutrition, and poverty. Particularly alarming is the disparity between low-income and high-income countries, where less than one in ten children in low-income countries have access to child benefits, highlighting significant gaps in coverage.
Natalia Winder Rossi, Director of Social Policy and Social Protection at UNICEF, stresses the urgency of addressing child poverty, with 333 million children worldwide living in extreme poverty and nearly 1 billion experiencing multidimensional poverty. Rossi also highlights that ending child poverty is a policy choice and calls for expanding social protection coverage, including the progressive realization of universal child benefits.