PHA-Exchange> 33 In preparation of PHA2

[Claudio]

>From Ana Lucia Ruggiero.

Child Poverty Rising in Richest Countries

Innocenti Report Card No.6. UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence.

Study Urges OECD Governments to Establish Credible Monitoring Systems and Timeframes for the Progressive Reduction of Child Poverty

·  Publication :  http://www.unicef-icdc.org/publications/pdf/repcard6e.pdf 

Child poverty in rich countries 2005 (English pdf 218 Kb ) (Español pdf 1034 Kb ) (Français pdf 779 Kb ) (Italiano pdf 1064 Kb ) 

·  Summary 
Child poverty in rich countries 2005 - Summary (English pdf 114 Kb ) (Español pdf 116 Kb ) (Français pdf 144 Kb ) (Italiano pdf 121 Kb ) 

·  Background papers 
A Portrait of Child Poverty in Germany (English pdf 236 Kb ) 
Child Poverty and Changes in Child Poverty in Rich Countries Since 1990 (English pdf 622 Kb ) 
Principles and practicalities for measuring child poverty in the rich countries - Draft version (English pdf 2024 Kb ) 
The Impact of Tax and Transfer Systems on Children in the European Union (English pdf 374 Kb ) 

·  Other Press material 
Brief guide to best practices in defining and monitoring child poverty (English pdf 64 Kb ) (Español pdf 79 Kb ) (Français pdf 79 Kb ) (Italiano pdf 64 Kb ) 
Key findings (English 63 Kb ) (Español pdf 65 Kb ) (Français pdf 55 Kb ) (Italiano pdf 63 Kb )

"....NEW YORK, 1 March 2005 - The proportion of children living in poverty, or on less than $1 per day, has risen in most of the world's developed countries since the early 1990's, according to UNICEF's latest report from the Innocenti Research Centre in Florence. 

The report asks what is driving poverty rates upwards and why some Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries are doing a much better job than others in protecting children at risk. At the top of the child poverty league are Denmark and Finland with child poverty rates of less than 3 per cent, but Norway is the only OECD country where child poverty can be described as 'very low and continuing to fall'. At the bottom are the United States and Mexico, with child poverty rates of more than 20 per cent.

Child poverty does not mean the same in wealthy countries as in the developing world, where half of all children do not have access to basic health care or schooling.  The figures refer to relative poverty, which is defined as having an income below 50 per cent of the national median.  What they show is that 40 to 50 million children living in some of the world's wealthiest countries,  are growing up in poverty.

"The core message of this report", says Fajth, "is that no country, not even the richest countries of the world can reduce child poverty consistently and significantly without paying attention to the political process.  No country, not even the richest countries, can reduce child poverty unless they define very clearly what they mean by child poverty.  No country, not even the richest countries can achieve a considerable recduction to child poverty if they don't give priority to children."

The report considers three main factors that have a crucial impact on child poverty: demographic & family factors; labour market factors including changes in parents' earnings and employment; and government intervention.  The results suggest there is significant potential for governments to reduce child poverty without spending more money.  Countries in the middle ranges are shown to have different spending patterns, so it is not a question of how much money, but more a question of how it is spent.

The report is not intended as a criticism of any country, but as a means for promoting dialogue on the subject. "The aim," he says, "is for countries to learn from one another how to successfully reduce child poverty....."

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