UNICEF reports that 417 million children in low- and middle-income countries suffer severe deprivations in education, health and nutrition. While 412 million live on about $3 a day, monetary measures understate the problem: sanitation is a major gap, with roughly 65% of children in low-income countries lacking toilets. The agency warns that funding cuts, climate change and conflict threaten recent gains and urges governments and businesses to maintain or increase support for essential child services.
Global Crisis: 417 Million Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Face Severe Deprivation, UNICEF Warns
UNICEF reports that 417 million children in low- and middle-income countries suffer severe deprivations in education, health and nutrition. While 412 million live on about $3 a day, monetary measures understate the problem: sanitation is a major gap, with roughly 65% of children in low-income countries lacking toilets. The agency warns that funding cuts, climate change and conflict threaten recent gains and urges governments and businesses to maintain or increase support for essential child services.
07:59 PM, 11/20/2025Society
A new UNICEF report finds that 417 million children in low- and middle-income countries are severely deprived in essential areas such as education, health and nutrition. The agency says progress made in recent years is under threat as governments reduce development and humanitarian funding while climate change and conflict push more families toward poverty.
Children in sub-Saharan Africa are the most affected, with South and East Asia and the Pacific also showing high rates of severe deprivation. UNICEF emphasizes that monetary measures alone do not capture the full scale of need: 412 million children live in monetary poverty, surviving on roughly $3 a day, but many more lack access to basic services.
Key findings
- 417 million children are severely deprived across core domains including education, health and nutrition.
- 412 million children live in monetary poverty (about $3 a day), a partial indicator that underestimates broader deprivations.
- Sanitation is the most widespread severe deprivation: about 65% of children in low-income countries lack access to a toilet.
- Sub-Saharan Africa is the worst-affected region; South and East Asia and the Pacific also register high levels of deprivation.
"Significant progress in reducing child poverty between 2014 and 2024 is at risk," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, urging governments and the private sector to protect and increase funding for essential child services.
The report warns that cuts to development cooperation and humanitarian aid, combined with the impacts of climate change and ongoing conflicts, could reverse recent gains. UNICEF calls for sustained political commitment and funding to safeguard children’s access to health, nutrition, sanitation and education.
What this means: Without renewed investment in services for children, millions risk being left behind—undermining decades of progress and making recovery more difficult and costly in the long term.