Global Child Poverty Analysis: A Decade’s Progress Towards Sustainable Development Goal 1

An assessment of child poverty from 2014 to 2024 reveals significant regional disparities in the progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1: No Poverty). While some regions have made substantial strides, others face stagnation or regression, highlighting the complex challenges in eradicating child poverty globally.

Regional Performance in Achieving SDG 1 Targets

1. Sub-Saharan Africa: Epicenter of Extreme Child Poverty

   • Progress towards SDG 1 has stalled, with over 52% of children living on less than $3.00 per day in 2024, a figure virtually unchanged from 2014.
   • The region accounts for 75% of the world’s children in extreme poverty, despite having only 23% of the global child population.
   • Achieving SDG 1 is severely hampered by rapid population growth and intersecting challenges related to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), including fragility, conflict, and climate vulnerability.

2. South Asia: Remarkable Strides in Poverty Reduction

   • The region has demonstrated significant success in advancing SDG 1, reducing its extreme child poverty rate from approximately 25% in 2014 to just over 8% in 2024.
   • India’s efforts were crucial, lowering its national rate from over 25% (2011) to just over 5% (2022).
   • Despite this progress, challenges related to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) persist, as nearly 85% of children still live in poverty at the $8.30/day threshold, indicating widespread economic vulnerability.

3. East Asia and Pacific: Substantial Gains in Eradicating Poverty

   • This region has made considerable progress towards SDG 1, with the extreme child poverty rate falling from nearly 13% to 4%.
   • Indonesia was a key contributor, reducing its rate from nearly 26% (2015) to about 7% (2024), lifting almost 20 million children out of extreme poverty.
   • At the $8.30/day level, the child poverty rate fell from 59% to 37%, with China’s progress being a significant factor in this regional achievement.

4. Latin America and the Caribbean: Persistent Inequality Amidst Low Extreme Poverty

   • The region maintains relatively low extreme child poverty (under 8% in 2024), showing consistent alignment with SDG 1’s primary target.
   • However, significant challenges related to SDG 10 remain, with over 41% of children living in poverty at the $8.30/day threshold, indicating deep-rooted inequality.

5. Middle East and North Africa: A Reversal of Progress

   • This is the only region to experience a significant setback in achieving SDG 1. Extreme child poverty nearly doubled, rising from 7% in 2014 to over 13% in 2024.
   • This regression is largely driven by conflict and instability, particularly in Yemen, underscoring the critical link between SDG 16 and SDG 1.
   • The poverty rate at the $8.30/day level remained stagnant at approximately 60%, reflecting ongoing economic and social crises.

6. Europe and Central Asia: Steady Decline in Broader Poverty

   • The region saw positive movement towards SDG 1 and SDG 10, with child poverty at the $8.30/day level declining from about 19% to just over 10%.

National Highlights and Imperatives for Sustained Commitment

Case Studies in Successful SDG 1 Implementation

Several nations have demonstrated that targeted policies can accelerate progress towards ending child poverty. Notable examples include:

• Indonesia: A 73% reduction in extreme child poverty between 2015 and 2024.
• Georgia: A 50% reduction in extreme child poverty between 2014 and 2023.
• Mexico: A nearly 44% reduction in extreme child poverty between 2016 and 2022.

Conversely, countries affected by conflict, fragility, and climate shocks saw increases in poverty, reinforcing the interconnected nature of the Sustainable Development Goals.

A Call to Action for the 2030 Agenda

The past decade confirms that reducing child poverty is an achievable goal. However, the slower pace of progress for children compared to adults and stark regional disparities threaten the core SDG principle of “Leave No One Behind.” Achieving SDG 1 requires targeted, sustained, and inclusive efforts. Prioritizing children in poverty reduction strategies is not only a moral imperative but a critical investment in a sustainable and equitable future for all.

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

The article primarily addresses the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The entire article is dedicated to the issue of child poverty, which is the central theme of SDG 1. It analyzes trends, regional disparities, and progress in reducing the number of children living in poverty, directly aligning with the goal to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere.” The text provides specific data on “extreme child poverty” and broader poverty levels across various regions.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article strongly connects to SDG 10 by highlighting the significant disparities in poverty reduction among different groups and regions. It explicitly points out that “regional disparities remain stark” and that the “pace of progress for children lags behind that of adults.” Furthermore, it contrasts the progress in regions like South Asia with the stagnation or reversal in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, underscoring the theme of inequality of outcome and opportunity.

2. Specific Targets Identified

Based on the article’s content, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

• Target 1.2: Reduce poverty in all its dimensions by at least half

  This target aims to “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 definitions.” The article directly addresses this by tracking the reduction in the percentage of children living below certain monetary thresholds. For example, it notes that South Asia reduced its extreme child poverty rate from “about 25% in 2014 to just over 8% in 2024,” and Indonesia reduced its rate by 73% between 2015 and 2024, demonstrating progress toward this target.

• Target 10.2: Promote universal social, economic, and political inclusion

  This target aims to “by 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age…” The article’s focus on children as a specific demographic and its finding that “the pace of progress for children lags behind that of adults” points directly to an inequality of outcome based on age. The call to action to prioritize children is a call for their economic inclusion to ensure they are not left behind in global poverty reduction efforts.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

The article uses several quantitative measures that serve as indicators for tracking progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator for Target 1.2: Proportion of children living below international poverty lines

  The article consistently uses the percentage of children living below specific daily income thresholds as its primary metric. This directly corresponds to official indicators used to measure poverty. Specific examples from the text include:

  • “In 2024, over 52% of children [in Sub-Saharan Africa] lived on less than $3.00 per day.”
  • “In South Asia… nearly 85% of children… still live in poverty” at the “$8.30/day level.”
  • “Latin America and the Caribbean… maintained relatively low levels of extreme child poverty—just under 8% in 2024.”

• Indicator for Target 10.2: Comparison of poverty rates between different groups and regions

  The article implies an indicator that measures inequality by comparing the poverty reduction progress across different geographical regions and demographic groups. This is evident in its comparative analysis:

  • The contrast between Sub-Saharan Africa, where poverty is “virtually unchanged,” and South Asia, which has made “remarkable progress.”
  • The statement that the Middle East and North Africa is the “only region that experienced a reversal in progress.”
  • The explicit comparison that “the pace of progress for children lags behind that of adults,” which serves as a direct measure of age-based inequality in poverty reduction outcomes.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: blogs.worldbank.org