A recent analysis conducted by the World Bank in collaboration with UNICEF highlights a troubling stagnation in the fight against extreme child poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite global advancements. Over the last ten years, the proportion of children living in severe poverty in this region has remained alarmingly high, with more than half still enduring conditions below the poverty threshold.
The study, titled ‘Child Poverty: Global, Regional and Select National Trends’ and published in September 2025, reveals that while the worldwide count of children living in extreme poverty decreased from 507 million in 2014 to 412 million in 2024, Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear a disproportionate share of this burden.
According to the report, “Although Sub-Saharan Africa comprises roughly 23 percent of the global child population, it accounts for nearly 75 percent-over 312 million-of children experiencing extreme poverty.” This figure has remained virtually unchanged over the past decade, with the child poverty rate holding steady at approximately 52 percent in 2024.
On a global scale, about 20 percent of children live in extreme poverty, defined as surviving on less than $3 per day. The report underscores that children are disproportionately affected, representing over half of the world’s extreme poor despite constituting only 30 percent of the total population.
Luis Felipe López-Calva, Global Director of the World Bank’s Poverty Department, emphasized the complexity of eradicating child poverty: “In regions where poverty is most entrenched, economic growth alone is insufficient. It must be complemented by robust investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and governance to create lasting change.”
Some areas have made remarkable strides. South Asia, for instance, has seen child poverty rates drop by more than 50 percent between 2014 and 2024, with India playing a pivotal role in this progress. Similarly, East Asia and the Pacific have achieved significant reductions in child poverty levels.
Conversely, the Middle East and North Africa have experienced a troubling reversal, with child poverty nearly doubling from 7.2 percent in 2014 to 13.3 percent in 2024.
George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF’s Director of Programmes, stressed that this crisis is not inevitable: “Eliminating child poverty is a matter of policy choice. Governments must urgently prioritize access to education, nutrition, healthcare, and social safety nets, especially in vulnerable regions like Sub-Saharan Africa.”
In Nigeria, a UNICEF report highlights that 69.2 percent of children in Kano State suffer from multidimensional poverty, lacking essential services such as education, healthcare, adequate nutrition, and safe housing. Additionally, nearly 60 percent of children in the state live in monetary poverty.
Significant regional disparities persist within Nigeria. Child poverty rates soar to nearly 90 percent in the North-East and North-West, compared to 74 percent in the South-East and 65 percent in the South-West. In states like Bayelsa, Gombe, Sokoto, and Kebbi, child poverty exceeds 95 percent.
UNICEF has called on governments to boost funding for child-centered initiatives, highlighting programs like the Universal Child Benefits in Katsina and Kano as promising examples. The organization also urges the media to play a proactive role in raising public awareness about children’s rights, the importance of school attendance, and the risks posed by violence against children.
