Measuring Child Poverty
This is the latest instalment of the UNICEF Office of Research Report Card series, aimed at focusing on the well-being of children in industrialized countries. It considers two views of child poverty in member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): a measure of absolute deprivation, and a measure of relative poverty.
The two measures, though separate in concept, highlight significant disparities in the living conditions of children. Of the countries surveyed, around 15% of children are considered “deprived" and a similar proportion live below their national poverty line.
This report card argues that accurate and timely monitoring of child poverty and deprivation is crucial for gauging what is happening to vulnerable children now. It argues that even during times of economic hardship, with the right evidence-based policies, it is possible to protect vulnerable children.
It is UNICEF's hope that this comparative snapshot of child poverty will help steer industrialized countries to keep working towards that important goal.
