# Data is essential to deliver children’s rights
With less than 7 years left, the world is way off-track to reach many of the Sustainable Development Goals for children set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Progress for child rights is being threatened by multiple, overlapping crises with disproportionate impacts on children’s lives. Data to understand this situation is crucial: it helps us to make better decisions, allocate resources effectively and hold policymakers to account for their actions.

# Explore children's different situations
The Child Atlas is Save the Children's new data platform to visualise, compare, analyse and understand children’s outcomes globally. The platform puts high-quality, publicly available data at your fingertips. For the first time, we bring together population-based data on key child development outcomes across multiple thematic areas in one integrated platform. This is complemented by data on risks and crises, public policies and financing decisions, and other contextual information.

- **Explore the different ways inequality affects children’s lives:** The Child Atlas includes disaggregated data where available, emphasising the inequalities in key child development indicators between different groups of children. This data is crucial to support the pledge to Leave No One Behind, allowing us to better understand the intersecting experiences of inequality, and to monitor rates of improvement. In both the Atlas and the country profiles you will find disaggregation by gender, place of residence, wealth, disability and sub-national regions. However, the availability of disaggregated data varies considerably by indicator and data source - you are most likely to find disaggregated data for child outcomes [measured through household surveys](http://www.childatlas.org/blog/count-every-child) (health, nutrition, education, child protection, poverty).

![child-poverty-candleStick.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1694430455/child_poverty_candle_Stick_311277200a.jpg)

- **Understand the relationship between different topics:** Data helps us to draw attention to threats to progress, describe emergent risks and crises, and highlight policies and financing decisions that help to advance children’s rights. Importantly, the Child Atlas helps us to better understand how risks, crises and public policies overlap with children’s outcomes across health, education, protection, and broader well-being. For example, is under-five mortality more concentrated in countries with lower coverage of basic health services? (The answer seems to be yes, as our platform shows. Although we can only show correlations, not causality!) Being able to directly compare child outcomes with potential risks (climate, conflict, hunger, etc.) or policy choices (e.g. public investment in children) is essential if we want to take a more holistic and systemic perspective on children's rights. You can do this directly in the Child Atlas by selecting a secondary topic.

![childmortality_antenatalcare.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1694430463/childmortality_antenatalcare_ae562afd42.jpg)

# Blogs and AI to make sense of the numbers
Throughout the Child Atlas, we worked hard to present data in an easy-to-use format. A growing number of blogs will tell specific data stories, provide [methodological backgrounds](http://www.childatlas.org/blog/count-every-child), or highlight innovative data projects we are working on. We also use AI-generated explainers throughout the Child Atlas to help make sense of the numbers, which are clearly marketed with a small 'AI' icon. While these help to explain the data in more detail and draw out some key insights, this is an experimental feature and sometimes they are getting things wrong (so please check any such statements).

# Tell us what you think
We are very excited to finally share the Child Atlas with you! We hope that this platform will help you to describe and highlight the situation of children through data - informing strategic decisions, supporting policy or programme interventions and providing key evidence to hold decision-makers accountable. 
We see great potential for the Child Atlas and are already working on improvements. Please get in touch to tell us what you think, how this platform helps you in your work and what you would like to see included in the future. You can write to us directly at [childatlas@savethechildren.org.uk](mailto:childatlas@savethechildren.org.uk). 

The Child Atlas is Save the Children's new data platform to visualise, compare, analyse and understand children’s outcomes globally. The platform puts high-quality, publicly available data at your fingertips. 

Introducing the Child Atlas: Understanding children's lives through the power of data

_On 14 February, Save the Children, UNICEF and ILO launched the [Global Child Benefits Tracker](https://www.childbenefitstracker.org/), a joint project to establish a one-stop-shop to track countries' pathways to expanding child benefits._

Social protection is a universal right and one of the most effective tools in reducing child poverty. It helps children and families to overcome barriers to accessing adequate nutrition, health, education and protection required to ensure children reach their full potential. But new data shows that just 28.1% of children aged 0-15 years globally have access to child or family benefit. 

The new data released by Save the Children, UNICEF and ILO shows a modest global increase in access to child benefits over a period of 14 years, from 20% in 2009 to 28.1% in 2023. However, progress has been unequal: in low-income countries, rates of coverage remain staggeringly low, at around 9%. At the same time, 84.6% of children in high-income countries are covered, almost ten times as many as in low-income countries. 


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Effective coverage with child benefits also varies significantly by world regions: we find the highest coverage of children in Western Europe, followed by North America and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In contrast, children are least likely to be covered in West and Central Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa, or in East Asia and Pacific.

Positively, child benefits are now more prevalent in all world regions than 14 years ago. And encouragingly, rates have increased particularly strongly in some of the regions least covered. For instance, in West and Central Africa rates have almost quadrupled from 3.1% in 2009 to 11.8% in 2023. Similarly in South Asia, coverage rates increased significantly from 9.2% in 2009 to 24.3 in 2023.

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Those regional and global figures hide some important differences between countries. In almost all low-income countries, less than 1 in 5 children are covered by child or family benefits. The exception are Malawi and Togo, the latter increased their coverage from 49% in 2019 to 74.5% in 2022. 

Mongolia is unique in being a lower middle-income country with  universal coverage of all children. In that income group, Bangladesh had some of the largest increases in recent years, raising coverage from 29.4% in 2020 to 44.5% in 2021.
And while on average countries in higher income groups have more children covered, there are surprisingly many children not receiving child or family benefits.

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Child benefits are a critical form of social protection, intended to promote the long-term wellbeing of girls and boys, including children with disabilities. Paid in cash or tax credits, child benefits are essential for reducing poverty and building resilience. This support is particularly important in a world with overlapping crises and insecurity. Unfortunately, countries most at risk are often those that are least covered. The availability of statutory child benefit schemes are often lowest in the countries at the forefront of the climate crisis: for instance, across countries [considered by UNICEF to face extremely high climate risk](https://www.unicef.org/reports/climate-crisis-child-rights-crisis) only 10% of children are covered with child benefits. In contrast, countries facing somewhat lower climate risk have on average coverage rates of 39%, almost four times higher.

Save the Children, ILO and UNICEF have developed the [Global Child Benefits Tracker](https://www.childbenefitstracker.org/) to bolster efforts to monitor and reduce exactly those gaps in child benefit coverage. And while those headline figures are also included in the Child Atlas, the Tracker much more detailed information and background on child-sensitive social protection programmes. To learn more about the important role child benefits play in helping children to fulfil their potential and additional resources, please visit [www.childbenefitstracker.org](https://www.childbenefitstracker.org/).

Social protection is a universal right and one of the most effective tools in reducing child poverty. It helps children and families to overcome barriers to accessing adequate nutrition, health, education and protection required to ensure children reach their full potential. But new data shows that just 28.1% of children aged 0-15 years globally have access to child or family benefit. 

1.4 billion children missing out on basic social protection

Data is the basis for informed and evidence-based policy making. Ensuring that every child is counted – and therefore has access to services fundamental to fulfil their rights – is the basis for reliable and inclusive data. But 1 in 4 children under the age of 5 worldwide do not have their births registered. Birth registration is an identity document which gives children the key for accessing healthcare, education, and child protection services. Without birth registration, these children remain invisible to the world. 

In many high-income countries where birth registration is universal or almost universal, this process is taken for granted. On the flip side, in many low and middle-income countries, lack of birth registration deprives millions of children from opportunities to survive and thrive in their lifetime. 

The Child Atlas depicts the global scenario of birth registration rates. In 113 of the 178 countries with available data, birth registration rates are between 90% and 100%. In contrast, countries like Ethiopia, Somalia, Papua New Guinea, Zambia, Tanzania, Angola, Chad, Yemen, Uganda, South Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo have some of the lowest birth registration rates in the world ranging from as low as 2.6% to 40%. A sharp difference is seen between the rest of the world and Africa, where most of the countries with low birth registration rates are concentrated. An alarming number of [approximately 96 million children in Africa, half of all children in the continent, do not have their births registered](https://data.unicef.org/resources/a-statistical-profile-of-birth-registration-in-africa/).  

![Global map birth registration.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1708700332/Global_map_birth_registration_c5b517c37d.png)

Lack of birth registration has plenty of consequences for children. Without birth registration, children cannot receive immunization and their families miss out on lifesaving [social protection benefits](https://www.childatlas.org/blog/social-protection). This means often children from poorer families do not receive the nutrition they need to grow and develop, have weaker immune system, and are more susceptible to contract a range of deadly diseases. Many of them cannot get admission into schools or register for exams which limits their future opportunities. Moreover, birth registration which proves the age of a child is also an essential basis to pursue legal consequences for perpetuators of violence against children. Children without a birth certificate face increased risks of child marriage, child labour, child prostitution, pornography, recruitment into armed forces as child soldiers, trafficking, and other forms of exploitation. 

Evidence from 31 low and middle-income countries shows that [children aged between 36–59 months who did not have a birth certificate were associated with worse nutritional outcomes and lower scores in their Early Childhood Development Index](https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5598-z). This shows the negative links between birth registration and children’s early growth and development outcomes. This study also found inequalities in birth registration by household wealth and residence, consistent with the group-based inequalities found in disaggregated data of birth registration in Malawi as shown by the Child Atlas below. Children from low-income households and rural areas are particularly affected due to lack of knowledge on the importance of birth registration, access to registration services and costs associated with attaining one. Additionally, bureaucratic complexities and insufficient infrastructure create challenges for governments striving to ensure universal birth registration.

![Birth registration inequalities.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmhlewc3v/image/upload/v1708699943/Birth_registration_inequalities_a3227321f4.png)

Digging deeper into the data reveals interesting observations on inequalities in birth registration. Gender disparities are subtle, with registration rates at 66% for girls vs 68% for boys. The rift widens in rural versus urban settings, where the gap stretches to 67% versus 71%, echoing a tale of unequal access. It is interesting to see the highest but competing rates of inequality between children from the poorest and richest households (65% and 71%) and between children with and without disability. Surprisingly, 71% of children with disabilities are registered at birth, surpassing the 64% rate for those without disabilities. This intriguing data sparks motivation for further research. 

Children are more than a data point in statistical records. However, without a record of this data point, they will continue to face increased risks of exploitation throughout life. Setting up functioning civil registration system and extending it also to those children affected by inequality and discrimination is crucial to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goal’s promise of universal birth registration by 2030. 


Ensuring that every child is counted is the basis for reliable and inclusive data. This forms the basis of evidence-based policy making. But 1 in 4 children under the age of 5 worldwide do not have their births registered. These children remain invisible to the world, lack access to essential services and continue to face increased risks of exploitation throughout life. Digging deeper into the disaggregated data on birth registration in Malawi uncovers more interesting insights into group-based inequalities.

Unveiling the invisible: The urgency of Birth Registration for every child

Josephat*

We hope that we can build a world where life is good and where no child is left behind.

Legal age of marriage and any exceptions to that legal age

Setting and enforcing a minimum legal age of marriage helps prevent child marriage, protect children from exploitation, and promote their rights. This measure identifies the legal minimum age at which individuals can marry under national laws.

Children living in household that received social transfers or benefits in the last 3 months (%)

Children living in household that received social transfers or benefits in the last 3 months (%). Social transfers covers various forms of financial assistance and support provided to vulnerable families and individuals.

CIVICUS rating of civic space (respect in policy and practice for the freedoms of peaceful assembly, association and expression which are underpinned by the state’s duty to protect civil society)

CIVICUS rating of civic space (respect in policy and practice for the freedoms of peaceful assembly, association and expression) underpinned by the state’s duty to protect civil society and evaluating the  environment for civil society organisations.

Children experiencing at least one extreme climate event per year (%)

Children experiencing at least one extreme climate event  per year (%), such as wildfires, crop failures, droughts, river floods, heatwaves, and tropical cyclones. Extreme climate events threaten children's safety, health, and well-being.

Children experiencing at least one crop failure per year (%)

Children experiencing at least one crop failure per year (%). Crop failures due to factors such as adverse weather conditions, pests, or diseases can lead to food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty.

Children experiencing at least one tropical cyclone per year (%)

Children experiencing at least one tropical cyclone per year (%). Tropical cyclones bring extensive destruction such as strong winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding, endangering children's lives.

Children experiencing at least one drought per year (%)

Children experiencing at least one drought per year (%). Droughts can lead to food and water shortages, malnutrition, displacement, and adverse health outcomes.

Children experiencing at least one wildfire per year (%)

Children experiencing at least one wildfire per year (%). Wildfires can result in widespread destruction of ecosystems, property damage, air pollution, and affect health, posing risks to children's safety.

Children experiencing at least one river flood per year (%)

Children experiencing at least one river flood per year (%). River floods can result in displacement, damage, injuries, and loss of life, posing significant risks to children's safety, health, and well-being.

Children experiencing at least one heatwave per year (%)

Children experiencing at least one heatwave per year (%). Heatwaves can have serious health consequences, including heat-related illnesses and deaths, particularly among vulnerable populations.

Probability of a child dying before they reach their first birthday (per 1,000 live births)

Highlighting the effectiveness of healthcare systems and socio-economic conditions impact child welfare, infant mortality shows the likelihood of a child dying before their first birthday (expressed as the number of deaths per 1,000 live births)

Probability of a child dying before they reach their fifth birthday (per 1,000 live births)

Under-five mortality is an important indicator of the health and well-being of children and their families. It measures how many children die before they reach the age of five years (expressed as the number of deaths per 1,000 live births). 

Cost of the least expensive locally-available foods to meet requirements for food-based dietary guidelines (in current PPP dollar/person/day)

This indicator measures the cost of the least expensive locally-available foods required to meet the dietary recommendations (in current PPP dollar/person/day). This helps evaluate the economic barriers to achieving a healthy diet.

Population who cannot afford a healthy diet (%)

This indicator measures the percentage of the population who cannot afford to consume a healthy diet due to financial constraints (%). Monitoring the population unable to afford a healthy diet highlights disparities in food access and affordability.

National guidelines for competencies of health workers in adolescent health

National guidelines outlining the competencies of health workers in adolescent health ensure that healthcare providers are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to address the unique health needs and concerns of adolescents.

Children living in a conflict zone, defined as proximity of =50km around a violent conflict (%)

Children living in a conflict zone, defined as proximity of =50km around a violent conflict (%). Conflicts heightened children's safety, well-being, and development. This data helps identify populations at risk and inform humanitarian responses.

Prohibition of corporal punishment in alternative care settings, day care, schools, penal institutions and as sentence for a crime

Banning corporal punishment helps protect children from physical harm, psychological trauma, and violations of their rights. This measure assesses the existence and enforcement of legal prohibitions on corporal punishment in various settings.

Index of perceived levels of?public sector corruption from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean)

The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks public sector corruption in 180 countries. Perceived levels helps identify corruption risks and challenges in governance and service delivery. The results are given from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

Interest paid on public debt (% government revenues)

Interest paid on public debt (% government revenues). High levels of interest payments relative to government revenues can strain fiscal resources and limit funding available for essential public services and development programs.

Assessment of debt distress by World Bank and IMF based on the Debt Sustainability Framework

The Debt Sustainability Framework analyses countries' debt burdens, repayment capacity, and vulnerability to debt-related risks. It  identifies countries facing unsustainable debt and potential financial crises, informing debt management.

Women (aged 15-49 years) who experienced physical or sexual violence (%)

Women who experienced physical or sexual violence (%). Addressing gender-based violence is crucial for protecting women's rights, safety and well-being. This data informs strategies for prevention and support services for survivors.

Children (aged 7-14) who demonstrate foundational numeracy skills (%)

Children (aged 7-14) who demonstrate foundational numeracy skills (%). This data can inform curriculum, teaching, and interventions to improve numeracy, ensuring all children have foundational numeracy skills.

Children (aged 7-14) who demonstrate foundational reading skills (%)

Children (aged 7-14) who demonstrate foundational reading skills (%) This data can inform literacy programmes, teaching, and policies to improve reading, ensuring all children acquire essential literacy skills.

Children and young people (age 5-24 years) currently attending primary education or higher, receiving support for school tuition or other school related support (%)

Children and young people (age 5-24 years) receiving support for school tuition or other school related support (%). Scholarships, grants, subsides or fee waivers can help ensure access to quality education and reduce financial barriers.

Number of attacks on students, personnel and institutions

The number of reported attacks covers various forms of violence, including physical assault, threats, and attacks on educational facilities. Tracking attacks is essential to safeguard the right to education and ensure a safe learning environment.

Children attend organised learning programmes one year before the official primary entry age (%) 

Early childhood education programmes have an important role in cognitive development. The percentage of children in organised learning programmes reflects early childhood education initiatives and readiness for formal schooling. 

Government expenditure on education as percentage of GDP (%)

Share of the GDP allocated to education-related expenditures by the government. It reflects the level of investment in education relative to the overall economy, and provides insights into the prioritisation of education within the national budget.

Expenditure on education as percentage of total government expenditure (%)

Proportion of a country's total expenditure allocated to education-related programs and initiatives. It reflects the government's commitment to investing in education, adequate funding is essential for expanding access to quality education.

Total expenditure on social protection (excluding health) as percentage of government expenditures (%)

Total expenditure on social protection as percentage of government expenditures (%). Social protection covers various policies and programs aimed at reducing poverty, vulnerability, and inequality. 

Expenditure on social protection systems for children as percentage of government expenditures (%)

Expenditure on social protection systems for children as percentage of government expenditures (%). Child-focused social protection can involves cash transfers or child allowances that benefit directly children and their families.

Expenditure on social protection systems for children as percentage of GDP (%)

Expenditure on social protection systems for children as percentage of GDP (%). Child-focused social protection can involves cash transfers or child allowances that benefit directly children and their families.

Total expenditure on social protection (excluding health) as percentage of GDP (%)

Total expenditure on social protection as percentage of GDP (%), measuring the level of investment in social safety nets. Social protection covers various policies and programs aimed at reducing poverty, vulnerability, and inequality. 

External health expenditures as percentage of total health expenditures (%)

The ratio of healthcare funding from external sources to total health expenditure (%). This measure informs decision-makers on external aid dependency and asses health financing mechanisms sustainability and resilience.

Population with poor or borderline food consumption according to the Food Consumption Score (%)

The Food Consumption Score evaluates dietary diversity and nutritional adequacy. This measure indicates the percentage of the population with poor/borderline food consumption, offering insights into food security and nutritional well-being.

Change of food prices compared to corresponding month of the previous year (%)

Change of food prices compared to corresponding month of the previous year (%). Such fluctuations can disrupt food affordability, access, and nutrition, affecting children's dietary intake and well-being.







Policy/legislation on free access to health services for children under 5 years

A policy or legislation that guarantee free access to healthcare services for children ensures equitable access to essential health services, regardless of socioeconomic status or ability to pay.

Policy/legislation on free access to health services for children 5-9 years

Policy/legislation on free access to health services for adolescents 10-19 years

A policy or legislation that guarantee free access to healthcare services for children and adolescents ensures equitable access to essential health services, regardless of socioeconomic status or ability to pay.

Domestic general government health expenditure as percentage of GDP (%)

Percentage of a country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that is spent on healthcare by the government (%). This indicator reflects the level of investment in the healthcare sector relative to the country's overall economic input.

Domestic general government health expenditure as percentage of total government expenditure (%)

The proportion of a country's total government expenditure allocated to health-related programmes and services (%); understanding this statistics helps assess the government's commitment to prioritising healthcare within budget allocations.

Domestic general government expenditure on primary health care as percentage of total government expenditures on health (%)

The percentage of the government's health expenditure allocated specifically to primary healthcare services (%), which are essential for promoting health and preventing diseases at the community level.

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