Ten years of progress and challenges: Insights into global child poverty

The past decade has seen slow but steady progress toward reducing the number of children who are living in extreme poverty worldwide. Yet despite this progress, children remain disproportionately affected by extreme poverty.  They represent over half of the global population living on less than $3.00 per day, even though they make up only 30% of the total population.

Drawing on the latest data from the World Bank’s Poverty and Inequality Platform and recently updated global poverty lines, a new joint analysis by the World Bank and UNICEF offers a comprehensive look at global, regional, and select national trends in child poverty over the last 10 years. The study’s findings reveal who is living in poverty, where they are, and the circumstances in which they live—and ultimately help us better understand the progress that has been achieved and how to tackle the challenges that remain.

How we measure poverty

The analysis uses updated global poverty lines that better reflect today’s economic realities, accounting for inflation and changing consumption patterns. The thresholds used in the study include:

• $3.00 per day (2021 purchasing power parity or PPP), which identifies people living in absolute monetary poverty by the standards of the world’s poorest countries.
• $8.30 per day (2021 PPP), a higher threshold for assessing poverty in countries with higher living costs and expectations for basic well-being.

Backed by a well-established methodology, these benchmarks provide a more accurate picture of child poverty across different contexts.

Global trends in child poverty: Progress with persistent challenges

As of 2024, approximately 412 million children—or more than 19% of the global child population—survive on less than $3.00 per day. This is down from 507 million—or 24% of the global child population—in 2014. This translates to nearly 100 million fewer children living in extreme poverty over the past decade, despite a temporary setback in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the higher poverty threshold of $8.30/day, which is more relevant for middle-income countries, the situation is more concerning. In 2024, nearly 66% of children—approximately 1.4 billion—lived below this line. While this is an improvement from 73% in 2014, the sheer scale of child poverty at this level highlights the need for urgent action.

Regional trends in child poverty: Diverging paths

Unfortunately, progress at the global level is not evenly distributed. While some regions and countries have made remarkable strides, others have seen stagnation or even regression. 

• Sub-Saharan Africa remains the epicenter of extreme child poverty. In 2024, over 52% of children lived on less than $3.00 per day—virtually unchanged from 2014. The region is home to every three in four children living in extreme poverty, despite accounting for only 23% of the global child population. The region’s rapid population growth, coupled with fragility, conflict, and climate vulnerability, has made reducing poverty particularly challenging.
• South Asia has made remarkable progress, reducing the extreme child poverty rate from about 25% in 2014 to just over 8% in 2024. India played a pivotal role in this success, with its extreme child poverty rate falling from more than 25% to just over 5% between 2011 and 2022. At the $8.30/day level, however, nearly 85% of children in South Asia still live in poverty, indicating that while extreme poverty has declined, broader economic vulnerability remains widespread.
• East Asia and Pacific also saw substantial gains. The extreme child poverty rate dropped from nearly 13% to 4%, with countries like Indonesia leading the way. Indonesia alone reduced its extreme child poverty rate from nearly 26% to about 7% between 2015 and 2024, lifting nearly 20 million children out of poverty. At the $8.30/day level, the region’s child poverty rate fell from 59% to 37%, with China contributing significantly to this decline.
• Latin America and the Caribbean, which is largely composed of upper-middle-income countries, maintained relatively low levels of extreme child poverty—just under 8% in 2024, down from over 10% in 2014. However, at the $8.30/day threshold, more than 41% of children still live in poverty, indicating persistent inequality.
• Europe and Central Asia saw a decline in child poverty at the $8.30/day level, from about 19% to just over 10%.
• Middle East and North Africa is the only region that experienced a reversal in progress. Extreme child poverty almost doubled, rising from 7% in 2014 to just over 13% in 2024–a result largely driven by the deteriorating livelihoods in Yemen. At the $8.30/day level, the rate remained stagnant at around 60%, reflecting the region’s ongoing struggles with conflict and economic instability.

National highlights

Many countries around the world, in all regions, have made significant strides against child poverty. According to their survey data, countries with notable projected reductions in extreme child poverty include: Indonesia, where extreme child poverty fell 73% between 2015 and 2024; Georgia, where extreme child poverty halved between 2014 and 2023; and Mexico, which saw extreme child poverty fall nearly 44% between 2016 and 2022. While the progress in these countries should be celebrated, others saw increases in extreme child poverty, especially those affected by conflict, fragility, and climate shocks.

A call for increased and sustained commitment

The past decade has shown that child poverty can be reduced, even in the face of global crises. But the pace of progress for children lags behind that of adults, and regional disparities remain stark.

The data is clear: ending child poverty is possible, but it requires targeted, sustained, and inclusive efforts. Prioritizing children in global efforts to reduce poverty is not just a moral imperative—it is a smart investment in our collective future.