UNICEF DATA - Child Statistics

COVID-19 and children data hub

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching and will be borne by children for years to come. For millions, learning has come to a halt and essential health services like the delivery of life-saving vaccines are out of reach. Others have been plunged into a lifelong cycle of poverty. Using the latest available data, this hub highlights the impacts of the pandemic on children’s poverty, education, health, nutrition and more.

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Publications

Progress on WASH in health care facilities 2000-2021

Half of health care facilities around the world lack basic hygiene services with water and soap or alcohol-based hand rub where patients receive care and at toilets in 2021. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme produces internationally comparable estimates of progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). This year’s report presents national, regional and global estimates for WASH in health care facilities up to the year 2021, with a special focus on WASH and infection prevention and control (IPC).

Publications

WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) 2022

Global vaccination continues to decline in 2021 with 25 million children missing out on lifesaving vaccines, 2 million more than in 2020, and 6 million more than in 2019. These numbers signal the largest continued decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years. The WHO/UNICEF estimates provide the world’s largest and most comprehensive data-set on immunization trends for vaccinations against 13 life-threatening diseases. This year, data were provided from 177 countries.

We believe that consistent, credible data about children’s situations are critical to the improvement of their lives – and indispensable to realizing the rights of every child.

1 in 4

children under the age of five officially do not exist

160 million

children worldwide were in child labour in 2020

1.6 billion

children worldwide were affected by school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic

3 billion

people worldwide do not have a handwashing facility with water and soap at home

6-7 million

additional children may have suffered from wasting or acute malnutrition due to COVID-19

Latest statistics

Publications

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022

Despite hopes that the world would emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and food security would begin to improve, world hunger rose to as many as 828 million in 2021 following a sharp upturn in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Severe food insecurity became more prevalent with 11.7 per cent of the global population facing food insecurity at severe levels. The 2022 edition of the report highlights the intensification of the major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition: conflict, climate extremes and economic shocks, combined with growing inequalities.

Publications

Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools: 2000-2021 Data update

This data update presents national, regional and global estimates for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools up to the year 2021, and includes additional analysis on efforts to prepare schools for future pandemics and provide disability-inclusive WASH services in schools. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) produces internationally comparable estimates of progress on WASH and is responsible for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to WASH.

Publications

Are Children Really Learning? Exploring foundational skills in the midst of a learning crisis

With widespread school closures and other disruptions to the education system brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the learning crisis has escalated to new heights. As the pandemic enters its third year, 23 countries – home to around 405 million schoolchildren – are yet to fully open schools, with many schoolchildren at risk of dropping out. This report offers unique insight into the extent of the learning crisis by providing an in-depth picture of which children are most at risk of not acquiring foundational learning skills.

Publications

Ensuring equal access to education in future crises: Remote Learning Readiness Index

As school closures are not unique to the COVID-19 outbreak and can take place due to conflicts, disease outbreaks, natural or man-made disasters, strengthening the resilience of the education sector against these negative shocks is critical for human capital gains and inclusive and equitable education for all. This report assesses educational resilience at a country level and introduces the Remote Learning Readiness Index to measure countries’ readiness to deliver remote learning during emergency school closures.

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