Among the OECD countries, Costa Rica had the highest share of children living in poverty, reaching 28.5 percent in 2022. Türkiye followed with a share of 22 percent of children living in poverty, while 20.5 percent of children in Spain, Chile, and the United States did the same. On the other hand, only three percent of children in Finland were living in poverty.

Out of all OECD countries, Cost Rica had the highest poverty rate as of 2022, at over 20 percent. The country with the second highest poverty rate was the United States, with 18 percent. On the other end of the scale, Czechia had the lowest poverty rate at 6.4 percent, followed by Denmark.

The significance of the OECD

The OECD, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was founded in 1948 and is made up of 38 member countries. It seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of countries and their populations. The OECD looks at issues that impact people’s everyday lives and proposes policies that can help to improve the quality of life.

Poverty in the United States

In 2022, there were nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line in the U.S.. About one fourth of the Native American population lived in poverty in 2022, the most out of any ethnicity. In addition, the rate was higher among young women than young men. It is clear that poverty in the United States is a complex, multi-faceted issue that affects millions of people and is even more complex to solve.

Abstract

Young Lives: An International Study of Childhood Poverty is a collaborative project investigating the changing nature of childhood poverty in selected developing countries. The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) is funding the first three-year phase of the project.

Young Lives involves collaboration between Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the academic sector. In the UK, the project is being run by Save the Children-UK together with an academic consortium that comprises the University of Reading, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, South Bank University, the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University and the South African Medical Research Council.

The study is being conducted in Ethiopia, India (in Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam. These countries were selected because they reflect a range of cultural, geographical and social contexts and experience differing issues facing the developing world; high debt burden, emergence from conflict, and vulnerability to environmental conditions such as drought and flood.

Objectives of the study The Young Lives study has three broad objectives: • producing good quality panel data about the changing nature of the lives of children in poverty. • trace linkages between key policy changes and child poverty • informing and responding to the needs of policy makers, planners and other stakeholders There will also be a strong education and media element, both in the countries where the project takes place, and in the UK.

The study takes a broad approach to child poverty, exploring not only household economic indicators such as assets and wealth, but also child centred poverty measures such as the child’s physical and mental health, growth, development and education. These child centred measures are age specific so the information collected by the study will change as the children get older.

Further information about the survey, including publications, can be downloaded from the Young Lives website.

Geographic coverage

Young Lives is an international study of childhood poverty, involving 12,000 children in 4 countries. - Ethiopia (20 communities in Addis Ababa, Amhara, Oromia, and Southern National, Nationalities and People's Regions) - India (20 sites across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) - Peru (74 communities across Peru) - Vietnam (20 communities in the communes of Lao Cai in the north-west, Hung Yen province in the Red River Delta, the city of Danang on the coast, Phu Yen province from the South Central Coast and Ben Tre province on the Mekong River Delta)

Analysis unit

Individuals; Families/households

Universe

Cross-national; Subnational

Children aged approximately 5 years old and their households, and children aged 12 years old and their households, in Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam, in 2006-2007. These children were originally interviewed in Round 1 of the study. See documentation for details of the exact regions covered in each country.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Purposive selection/case studies

Sampling deviation

Ethiopia: 1,886 (8-year-olds), 974 (15-year-olds); India: 1,930 (8-year-olds), 977 (15-year-olds); Peru: 1,946 (8-year-olds), 678 (15-year-olds); Vietnam: 1,963 (8-year-olds), 972 (15-year-olds)

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face interview; Self-completion

Research instrument

Every questionnaire used in the study consists of a 'core' element and a country-specific element, which focuses on issues important for that country.

The core element of the questionnaires consists of the following sections: Core 5 & 12 year old household questionnaire • Section 1: Parental background • Section 2: Household education • Section 3: Livelihoods and asset framework • Section 3a: Land & crops • Section 3b: Time allocation • Section 3c: Productive assets • Section 3d: Non-agricultural earnings • Section 3e: Transfers • Section 4: Consumption/Expenditure • Section 4a: Food consumption/expenditure • Section 4b: Non-food consumption/expenditure • Section 5: Social capital • Section 5a: Support networks • Section 5b: Family, group and political capital • Section 5c: Collective action and exclusion • Section 5d: Information networks • Section 6: Economic changes and recent life history • Section 7: Socio-economic status • Section 8: Child care, education & activities (blank in 12yr old household) • Section 9: Child health • Section 10: Child development (blank in 12yr old household) • Section 11: Anthropometry • Section 12: Caregiver perceptions & attitudes

Core 12 year old child questionnaire • Section 1: School and activities • Section 2: Child health • Section 3: Social networks, social skills and social support • Section 4: Feelings and attitudes • Section 5: Parents and household issues • Section 6: Perceptions of household wealth and future • Section 7: Child Development

The community questionnaire used in Ethiopia consists of the following sections: - MODULE 1 General Module • Section 1 General Community Characteristics • Section 2 Social Environment • Section 3 Access to Services • Section 4 Economy • Section 5 Local Prices - MODULE 2 Child-Specific Modules • Section 1 Educational Service (General) • Section 2 NOT INCLUDED IN ETHIOPIA CONTEXT INSTRUMENT • Section 3 Educational Services (Preschool, Primary, Secondary) • Section 4 Health Services • Section 5 Child Protection Services - MODULE 3 Country specific community level questions • Section 1 Conversion factors • Section 2 Migration • Section 3 Social protection program • Section 4 Equity and budget management in education and health

The community questionnaire used in India consists of the following sections: - MODULE 1 General Module • Section 1: General Community Characteristics • Section 2: Social Environment • Section 3: Access to Services • Section 4: Economy • Section 5; Local Prices - MODULE 2 Child-Specific Modules • Section 1: Educational Services (General) • Section 2: Child day care Services • Section 3: Educational Services (Preschool, Primary, Secondary) • Section 4: Health Services • Section 5: Child Protection Services

The community questionnaire used in Peru consists of the following sections: - MODULE 1 General Module • Section 1: General Community Characteristics • Section 2: Social Environment • Section 3: Access to Services • Section 4: Economy • Section 5: Local Prices - MODULE 2 Child-Specific Modules • Section 1: Educational Services (General) • Section 2: Child day care Services • Section 3: Educational Services (Preschool, Primary, Secondary) • Section 4: Health Services • Section 5: Child Protection Services

The community questionnaire used in Vietnam consists of the following sections: - MODULE 1 General Module • Section 1: General Community Characteristics • Section 2: Social Environment • Section 3: Access to Services • Section 4: Economy • Section 5: Local Prices • Section 6: Poverty Alleviation and Infrastructure Initiatives - MODULE 2 Child-Specific Module • Section 1: Educational Services (General and Country Specific) • Section 2: Child day care Services • Section 3: Educational Services (Preschool, Primary, Secondary) • Section 4: Health Services • Section 5: Child Protection Services

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for United States (PPAAUS00000A156NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about percent, child, poverty, and USA.

Estonia EE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data was reported at 17.200 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.800 % for 2020. Estonia EE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data is updated yearly, averaging 21.250 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2021, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24.700 % in 2011 and a record low of 17.200 % in 2021. Estonia EE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Estonia – Table EE.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

This layer shows childhood poverty figures at a country scale. Population figures were obtained in 2023.This layer uses bivariate choropleth mapping to symboloise the relationship between children living in poverty (as defined globally) and children engaged in economic activity (i.e. work).Global patterns indicate that children are most impacted by poverty. Across the globe, a staggering 333 million children live in conditions of extreme poverty. This layer has been designed to help school children in New Zealand and the South Pacific explore these claims.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Young Lives survey is an innovative long-term project investigating the changing nature of childhood poverty in four developing countries. The study is being conducted in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam and has tracked the lives of 12,000 children over a 20-year period, through 5 (in-person) survey rounds (Round 1-5) and, with the latest survey round (Round 6) conducted over the phone in 2020 and 2021 as part of the Listening to Young Lives at Work: COVID-19 Phone Survey.
Round 1 of Young Lives surveyed two groups of children in each country, at 1 year old and 5 years old. Round 2 returned to the same children who were then aged 5 and 12 years old. Round 3 surveyed the same children again at aged 7-8 years and 14-15 years, Round 4 surveyed them at 12 and 19 years old, and Round 5 surveyed them at 15 and 22 years old. Thus the younger children are being tracked from infancy to their mid-teens and the older children through into adulthood, when some will become parents themselves.

The 2020 phone survey consists of three phone calls (Call 1 administered in June-July 2020; Call 2 in August-October 2020 and Call 3 in November-December 2020) and the 2021 phone survey consists of two additional phone calls (Call 4 in August 2021 and Call 5 in October-December 2021) The calls took place with each Young Lives respondent, across both the younger and older cohort, and in all four study countries (reaching an estimated total of around 11,000 young people).
The Young Lives survey is carried out by teams of local researchers, supported by the Principal Investigator and Data Manager in each country.

Further information about the survey, including publications, can be downloaded from the Young Lives website.

This study includes data and documentation for Round 2 only. Round 1 is available under SN 5307, Round 3 under SN 6853, Round 4 under SN 7931 and Round 5 under SN 8357.

Latest edition:
For the fourth edition (August 2022), the Peruvian Younger cohort data file (pechildlevel5yrold) has been updated to include the mother's health variables.

Main Topics:

This dataset comprises the data from the 5-year-olds' and 12-year-olds' household surveys and the 12-year-olds' child survey carried out in 2006. For each of the four countries the dataset contains files at the community, household and child level for both ages. The household/child level data file for the 12-year-olds' survey also includes data from the child questionnaire. In addition there are several files at lower levels (i.e. where there are several records per household). These include the household roster and activity schedules for livelihoods. The Peru community level data includes an additional file with community data covering new communities for children who have migrated.

Topics covered in the dataset include: community characteristics (environmental, social and economic); parental background; household education; livelihoods and asset framework; household food and non-food consumption and expenditure; social capital, economic changes and recent life history; socio-economic status; child care, education and activities; child health; anthropometry; caregivers' perceptions and attitudes; school and activities, child time use; social networks, social skills and social support; feelings and attitudes; parents' and household issues; child development; perception of the future, environment and household wealth.

Also included are calculated indices such as a wealth index, various social capital scores, and mental health scores, which are all detailed in the documentation. The SPSS syntax code and/or Stata 'do' files that show methods of calculation for the composite indices are also included in the dataset.

In 2025, nearly 11.7 percent of the world population in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at 2.15 U.S. dollars a day, lived in Nigeria. Moreover, the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounted for around 11.7 percent of the global population in extreme poverty. Other African nations with a large poor population were Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar. Poverty levels remain high despite the forecast decline Poverty is a widespread issue across Africa. Around 429 million people on the continent were living below the extreme poverty line of 2.15 U.S. dollars a day in 2024. Since the continent had approximately 1.4 billion inhabitants, roughly a third of Africa’s population was in extreme poverty that year. Mozambique, Malawi, Central African Republic, and Niger had Africa’s highest extreme poverty rates based on the 2.15 U.S. dollars per day extreme poverty indicator (updated from 1.90 U.S. dollars in September 2022). Although the levels of poverty on the continent are forecast to decrease in the coming years, Africa will remain the poorest region compared to the rest of the world. Prevalence of poverty and malnutrition across Africa Multiple factors are linked to increased poverty. Regions with critical situations of employment, education, health, nutrition, war, and conflict usually have larger poor populations. Consequently, poverty tends to be more prevalent in least-developed and developing countries worldwide. For similar reasons, rural households also face higher poverty levels. In 2024, the extreme poverty rate in Africa stood at around 45 percent among the rural population, compared to seven percent in urban areas. Together with poverty, malnutrition is also widespread in Africa. Limited access to food leads to low health conditions, increasing the poverty risk. At the same time, poverty can determine inadequate nutrition. Almost 38.3 percent of the global undernourished population lived in Africa in 2022.

Romania RO: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data was reported at 40.800 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 36.100 % for 2020. Romania RO: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data is updated yearly, averaging 47.050 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2021, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 52.800 % in 2012 and a record low of 34.600 % in 2019. Romania RO: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Romania – Table RO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

The Poverty Mapping Project: Global Subnational Prevalence of Child Malnutrition data set consists of estimates of the percentage of children with weight-for-age z-scores that are more than two standard deviations below the median of the NCHS/CDC/WHO International Reference Population. Data are reported for the most recent year with subnational information available at the time of development. The data products include a shapefile (vector data) of percentage rates, grids (raster data) of rates (per thousand in order to preserve precision in integer format), the number of children under five (the rate denominator), and the number of underweight children under five (the rate numerator), and a tabular data set of the same and associated data. This data set is produced by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).

ES: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data was reported at 33.100 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 31.200 % for 2020. ES: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data is updated yearly, averaging 31.650 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2021, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 35.400 % in 2014 and a record low of 28.800 % in 2018. ES: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

In 2023, the around 11.1 percent of the population was living below the national poverty line in the United States. Poverty in the United StatesAs shown in the statistic above, the poverty rate among all people living in the United States has shifted within the last 15 years. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines poverty as follows: “Absolute poverty measures poverty in relation to the amount of money necessary to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. The concept of absolute poverty is not concerned with broader quality of life issues or with the overall level of inequality in society.” The poverty rate in the United States varies widely across different ethnic groups. American Indians and Alaska Natives are the ethnic group with the most people living in poverty in 2022, with about 25 percent of the population earning an income below the poverty line. In comparison to that, only 8.6 percent of the White (non-Hispanic) population and the Asian population were living below the poverty line in 2022. Children are one of the most poverty endangered population groups in the U.S. between 1990 and 2022. Child poverty peaked in 1993 with 22.7 percent of children living in poverty in that year in the United States. Between 2000 and 2010, the child poverty rate in the United States was increasing every year; however,this rate was down to 15 percent in 2022. The number of people living in poverty in the U.S. varies from state to state. Compared to California, where about 4.44 million people were living in poverty in 2022, the state of Minnesota had about 429,000 people living in poverty.

Related children of householder under 18 years Poverty Rate Statistics for 2022. This is part of a larger dataset covering poverty in International Falls, Minnesota by age, education, race, gender, work experience and more.

The aim of the Human Development Report is to stimulate global, regional and national policy-relevant discussions on issues pertinent to human development. Accordingly, the data in the Report require the highest standards of data quality, consistency, international comparability and transparency. The Human Development Report Office (HDRO) fully subscribes to the Principles governing international statistical activities.

The HDI was created to emphasize that people and their capabilities should be the ultimate criteria for assessing the development of a country, not economic growth alone. The HDI can also be used to question national policy choices, asking how two countries with the same level of GNI per capita can end up with different human development outcomes. These contrasts can stimulate debate about government policy priorities. The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions.

The 2019 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) data shed light on the number of people experiencing poverty at regional, national and subnational levels, and reveal inequalities across countries and among the poor themselves.Jointly developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford, the 2019 global MPI offers data for 101 countries, covering 76 percent of the global population. The MPI provides a comprehensive and in-depth picture of global poverty – in all its dimensions – and monitors progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1 – to end poverty in all its forms. It also provides policymakers with the data to respond to the call of Target 1.2, which is to ‘reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definition'.

Goal 1End poverty in all its forms everywhereTarget 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a dayIndicator 1.1.1: Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographic location (urban/rural)SI_POV_DAY1: Proportion of population below international poverty line (%)SI_POV_EMP1: Employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age (%)Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitionsIndicator 1.2.1: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and ageSI_POV_NAHC: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%)Indicator 1.2.2: Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitionsSD_MDP_MUHC: Proportion of population living in multidimensional poverty (%)SD_MDP_ANDI: Average proportion of deprivations for people multidimensionally poor (%)SD_MDP_MUHHC: Proportion of households living in multidimensional poverty (%)SD_MDP_CSMP: Proportion of children living in child-specific multidimensional poverty (%)Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerableIndicator 1.3.1: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the vulnerableSI_COV_MATNL: [ILO] Proportion of mothers with newborns receiving maternity cash benefit (%)SI_COV_POOR: [ILO] Proportion of poor population receiving social assistance cash benefit, by sex (%)SI_COV_SOCAST: [World Bank] Proportion of population covered by social assistance programs (%)SI_COV_SOCINS: [World Bank] Proportion of population covered by social insurance programs (%)SI_COV_CHLD: [ILO] Proportion of children/households receiving child/family cash benefit, by sex (%)SI_COV_UEMP: [ILO] Proportion of unemployed persons receiving unemployment cash benefit, by sex (%)SI_COV_VULN: [ILO] Proportion of vulnerable population receiving social assistance cash benefit, by sex (%)SI_COV_WKINJRY: [ILO] Proportion of employed population covered in the event of work injury, by sex (%)SI_COV_BENFTS: [ILO] Proportion of population covered by at least one social protection benefit, by sex (%)SI_COV_DISAB: [ILO] Proportion of population with severe disabilities receiving disability cash benefit, by sex (%)SI_COV_LMKT: [World Bank] Proportion of population covered by labour market programs (%)SI_COV_PENSN: [ILO] Proportion of population above statutory pensionable age receiving a pension, by sex (%)Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinanceIndicator 1.4.1: Proportion of population living in households with access to basic servicesSP_ACS_BSRVH2O: Proportion of population using basic drinking water services, by location (%)SP_ACS_BSRVSAN: Proportion of population using basic sanitation services, by location (%)Indicator 1.4.2: Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, (a) with legally recognized documentation, and (b) who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and type of tenureSP_LGL_LNDDOC: Proportion of people with legally recognized documentation of their rights to land out of total adult population, by sex (%)SP_LGL_LNDSEC: Proportion of people who perceive their rights to land as secure out of total adult population, by sex (%)SP_LGL_LNDSTR: Proportion of people with secure tenure rights to land out of total adult population, by sex (%)Target 1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disastersIndicator 1.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 populationVC_DSR_MISS: Number of missing persons due to disaster (number)VC_DSR_AFFCT: Number of people affected by disaster (number)VC_DSR_MORT: Number of deaths due to disaster (number)VC_DSR_MTMP: Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population (number)VC_DSR_MMHN: Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_DAFF: Number of directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population (number)VC_DSR_IJILN: Number of injured or ill people attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_PDAN: Number of people whose damaged dwellings were attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_PDYN: Number of people whose destroyed dwellings were attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_PDLN: Number of people whose livelihoods were disrupted or destroyed, attributed to disasters (number)Indicator 1.5.2: Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP)VC_DSR_GDPLS: Direct economic loss attributed to disasters (current United States dollars)VC_DSR_LSGP: Direct economic loss attributed to disasters relative to GDP (%)VC_DSR_AGLH: Direct agriculture loss attributed to disasters (current United States dollars)VC_DSR_HOLH: Direct economic loss in the housing sector attributed to disasters (current United States dollars)VC_DSR_CILN: Direct economic loss resulting from damaged or destroyed critical infrastructure attributed to disasters (current United States dollars)VC_DSR_CHLN: Direct economic loss to cultural heritage damaged or destroyed attributed to disasters (millions of current United States dollars)VC_DSR_DDPA: Direct economic loss to other damaged or destroyed productive assets attributed to disasters (current United States dollars)Indicator 1.5.3: Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030SG_DSR_LGRGSR: Score of adoption and implementation of national DRR strategies in line with the Sendai FrameworkSG_DSR_SFDRR: Number of countries that reported having a National DRR Strategy which is aligned to the Sendai FrameworkIndicator 1.5.4: Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategiesSG_DSR_SILS: Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies (%)SG_DSR_SILN: Number of local governments that adopt and implement local DRR strategies in line with national strategies (number)SG_GOV_LOGV: Number of local governments (number)Target 1.a: Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensionsIndicator 1.a.1: Total official development assistance grants from all donors that focus on poverty reduction as a share of the recipient country’s gross national incomeDC_ODA_POVLG: Official development assistance grants for poverty reduction, by recipient countries (percentage of GNI)DC_ODA_POVDLG: Official development assistance grants for poverty reduction, by donor countries (percentage of GNI)DC_ODA_POVG: Official development assistance grants for poverty reduction (percentage of GNI)Indicator 1.a.2: Proportion of total government spending on essential services (education, health and social protection)SD_XPD_ESED: Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education (%)Target 1.b: Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actionsIndicator 1.b.1: Pro-poor public social spending

In 2022, Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest child mortality rate worldwide, with 71 children under the age of five deceased per 1,000 live births. The region has the highest poverty rates worldwide. Nevertheless, global child mortality rates fell steadily since the millennium.

Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index: Children (population aged 0-17): scale 0-1 data was reported at 0.282 NA in 2021. Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index: Children (population aged 0-17): scale 0-1 data is updated yearly, averaging 0.282 NA from Dec 2021 (Median) to 2021, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.282 NA in 2021 and a record low of 0.282 NA in 2021. Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index: Children (population aged 0-17): scale 0-1 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

The Young Lives survey is an innovative long-term project investigating the changing nature of childhood poverty in four developing countries. The purpose of the project is to improve understanding of the causes and consequences of childhood poverty and examine how policies affect children's well-being, in order to inform the development of future policy and to target child welfare interventions more effectively. The study is being conducted in Ethiopia, India (in Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Viet Nam. These countries were selected because they reflect a range of cultural, geographical and social contexts and experience differing issues facing the developing world; high debt burden, emergence from conflict, and vulnerability to environmental conditions such as drought and flood.

The survey consists of three main elements: a child questionnaire, a household questionnaire and a community questionnaire. The household data gathered is similar to other cross-sectional datasets (such as the World Bank's Living Standards Measurement Study). It covers a range of topics such as household composition, livelihood and assets, household expenditure, child health and access to basic services, and education. This is supplemented with additional questions that cover caregiver perceptions, attitudes, and aspirations for their child and the family. Young Lives also collects detailed time-use data for all family members, information about the child's weight and height (and that of caregivers), and tests the children for school outcomes (language comprehension and mathematics). An important element of the survey asks the children about their daily activities, their experiences and attitudes to work and school, their likes and dislikes, how they feel they are treated by other people, and their hopes and aspirations for the future. The community questionnaire provides background information about the social, economic and environmental context of each community. It covers topics such as ethnicity, religion, economic activity and employment, infrastructure and services, political representation and community networks, crime and environmental changes. The Young Lives survey is carried out by teams of local researchers, supported by the Principal Investigator and Data Manager in each country.

Further information about the survey, including publications, can be downloaded from the Young Lives website.

Slovakia SK: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data was reported at 19.900 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 19.000 % for 2020. Slovakia SK: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data is updated yearly, averaging 24.200 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2021, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.300 % in 2012 and a record low of 19.000 % in 2020. Slovakia SK: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Slovakia – Table SK.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

The principal data collection units were sites where policy was discussed and acted on. These comprised 2 national Departments of Education (in Kenya and South Africa), 2 provincial departments, 2 schools, 2 NGOs located in large cities, and 2 located in rural areas. Data collected included interviews, focus groups, observations, analysis of school records and records of report back meetings. In addition 12 interviews with staff in global organisations dealing with this policy area were interviewed.

Comparative case study was used in Kenya and South Africa to investigate similar kinds of relationship – negotiations with global policy agendas on gender, education and poverty reduction – in somewhat different sites. A selected range of units of analysis were examined for hierarchies in which policy and practice are related from global levels, ranked ‘above’ the national and local level (vertically) and forms of connection, exclusion or boundary setting between different kinds of organisation (horizontally). Both countries have in place policies on poverty, education and gender equality, and are active global policy players. However, they differ in their engagements with global policy transfer, histories of attention to gender. There was thus potential to look at how the cases did and did not vary, and the explanatory weight that could be accorded to local conditions.

Five case studies were conducted in each country: the National Department of Education, South Africa, Ministry of Education in Kenya, a provincial department in each country, a matched school attended by children from a peri-urban community with high levels of poverty, a rural NGO working on education and poverty, and a global NGO engaged with the global policy agenda and local implementation.

The project aims to examine initiatives which engage with global aspirations to advance gender equality in and through schooling in contexts of poverty. It looks at how these are understood, who participates in implementation, what meanings of gender, schooling and global relations are negotiated, what constraints are experienced, in what ways these are overcome, and what concerns about global obligations emerge. A key focus is what conditions how global policy goals are interpreted and acted on in different sites. Case study research will be conducted in Kenya and South Africa, two countries where reforming governments have sought to address questions of poverty and gender in the expansion of education provision. In each country data will be collected in five sites: the national Department of Education, a provincial education department, a rural primary school, the offices of a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) engaging with global education and poverty policy, and an education NGO operating at a local level. The main methods of data collection will be documentary analysis, individual and group interviews, focus group discussions, and observations. Advisory committees in Kenya and South Africa will guide the process of data collection, comment critically on emerging analysis, and give support with dissemination.