Geneva: A new UNICEF report has warned that more than 412 million children around the world are living in extreme monetary poverty, with many missing out on basic needs such as food, safe water, education and health care. The State of the Worlds Children 2025 report, released this week, calls child poverty a growing global crisis and urges governments to act with urgency.

According to the report, children are more than twice as likely as adults to live in extreme poverty. Nearly nine out of ten children facing this situation live in sub Saharan Africa and South Asia, making the crisis especially severe in developing regions. UNICEF says poverty is not just about low income but also about children being denied the essentials they need to survive and grow.

The report highlights that young children, children with disabilities, Indigenous communities, rural populations and children living in conflict zones are at the highest risk. In 2024 alone, almost one in five children worldwide lived in areas affected by conflict. UNICEF notes that this proportion has doubled over the last thirty years.

Economic pressures are also making life harder for vulnerable families. Many countries are spending more money on repaying interest on debts than on education or health. UNICEF points out that 45 countries now spend more on debt interest than on healthcare, while 22 spend more on interest payments than on education. This trend, the report warns, leaves fewer resources available to protect children.

Despite some progress over the past two decades, UNICEF says recent global crises such as the pandemic, climate shocks and economic instability have slowed or even reversed earlier gains.

Severe deprivation among children has fallen since the early 2000s, but the pace of improvement is far too slow to meet global targets.

UNICEF has urged governments to increase investments in social protection, expand access to nutrition, strengthen education systems and support children living in conflict affected areas. The organisation says strong political will is essential to reverse growing inequalities and ensure every child gets a fair chance.

The report also includes a detailed statistical compendium that tracks child health, education and protection indicators across countries. UNICEF says this data should guide national policies in the coming years.

For countries across South Asia, including India, the findings underline the urgent need to address rural poverty, expand inclusive services and protect the rights of children who face multiple disadvantages.