180 million children in the world have worse prospects than their parents had as children.
1 in 12 children grow up looking for a worse future than their parents
On the occasion of the Children's Day, 20 November, UNICEF publishes two analyzes showing how the world looks like children - and how children see the world - in 2017.
180 million children grow up looking to have a worse future than their parents had when they were children. They are at greater risk of living in extreme poverty, leaving education or being exposed to fatal violence.
It shows an analysis published by UNICEF on the Children's Day of November 20th, the UN Children's Convention's birthday, highlighted in more than 130 countries worldwide.
Decline in several countries:
The analysis states that the number of people living below $ 1.90 a day has risen in 14 of the world's countries, primarily due to turmoil and conflict. At the same time, there are fewer children coming to school in 21 countries due to economic crisis, conflict and population growth. It has also become more dangerous to be children in seven countries where there is an increase in the number of young people under the age of 19 who are losing their lives due to violence.
"The world is experiencing progress on so many parameters, but this analysis shows that there is a very large proportion of children and young people who do not participate in this progress. On the contrary. It is embarrassing, and it is contradictory that in 2017, children should have a view of a worse life than their parents had as children. The UN's World Goal has a lot of focus on inequality, so the will to give all these children some better prospects should be present, "says Steen M. Andersen, Secretary General of UNICEF Denmark.
The children worry about terror, violence and injustice
UNICEF has also conducted a survey of more than 11,000 children and adolescents aged 9-18 in 14 countries (Brazil, India, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Turkey, UK and USA), which maps what concerns them the most:
Children in all countries indicate terrorism, poor education and poverty as the main challenges they think the world's leaders should take care of.
In all countries violence is the main concern for children. 67 percent worry about 'much'.
About 4 out of 10 children worry 'much' about the unfair treatment of refugee and migrant children in the world.
Almost half of the children do not trust that 'their adults', incl. World leaders, make decisions that are good for children. In Brazil, 81 percent of the children say that.
- Julie Troldborg, UNICEF
