REPORT ON CHILD POVERTY BY UNICEF

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TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: As per a new report, Sixty-nine million children or more than one in five, live in poverty in the world’s 40 richest countries part of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU).

EXPLANATION:

• Despite a notable overall reduction in poverty by almost 8 percent across these nations between 2012-14 and 2019-21, unveiled in a report by UNICEF recently, the prevalence of child poverty remains alarmingly high.

Relative Poverty Calculation

• UNICEF’s research arm, Innocenti, employed a relative poverty metric, defining households whose income is 60 percent of the average household income in their respective countries.
• This criterion signifies families possessing some financial means but insufficient to afford beyond basic necessities.
• Developed nations often utilize this indicator as the primary poverty threshold.

Country-Specific Findings

• Top Performers in Poverty Mitigation:
  • Poland, Slovenia, Latvia, and the Republic of Korea demonstrated commendable efforts in addressing child poverty.
• Mixed Progress and High Rates:
  • Greece, Malta, and New Zealand, while making strides in poverty reduction, still grapple with relatively high child poverty rates.
• Stagnating Low Poverty Rates:
  • Denmark, Iceland, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Norway showcased consistently low child poverty rates but evidenced an increasing trend over time.
• High Rates and Poor Trends:
  • France, Luxembourg, Turkey, and the United Kingdom exhibited both high child poverty rates and unfavourable poverty reduction trends.

Inequality Factors Contributing to Child Poverty

• The report identified several factors contributing to the persistence and exacerbation of child poverty.
  • Migrant and Ethnic Disparities:
    • Children of migrant parents faced 2.4 times higher relative income poverty rates compared to children whose parents were citizens of the country.
    • This gap widened from approximately 19 percentage points in 2012 to about 22 percentage points in 2021.
  • Racial and Ethnic Minority Disadvantages:
    • Similar disparities in poverty were evident among children from racial or ethnic minority groups, signaling deeply rooted inequalities.
  • Geographical Disparities:
    • Rural-urban distinctions persisted in many European countries, with substantially higher poverty rates in rural areas despite progress elsewhere.
  • Household Structure Impact:
    • The number of adults in a household significantly influenced children’s economic welfare.
    • Children in one-adult households were over three times more likely to live in poverty than those living with two or more adults, with Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and Slovenia particularly affected.

Long-term Impacts and Urgent Calls for Action

• The detrimental effects of persistent poverty on children were highlighted, revealing that those consistently exposed to poverty faced significantly higher risks of emotional and behavioural difficulties.
• In response, the report emphasized the urgent need for governments and stakeholders to prioritize and augment expenditure on child and family benefits to combat child poverty effectively.

Recommended Actions

• The report suggested four critical areas necessitating immediate attention to alleviate child poverty:
  • Expansion of Child-Sensitive Social Protection
  • Improvement and Access to Essential Services
  • Ensuring Decent Work and Family-Friendly Policies
  • Mitigating Inequalities in Poverty Risks
• The report underscores the complexity of child poverty within the wealthiest nations, urging concerted efforts to address multifaceted inequalities and systemic issues for the betterment of children’s lives and future prospects.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/economy/over-69-million-children-live-in-poverty-in-40-of-the-world-s-richest-countries-unicef-93245