How are children faring in today’s increasingly integrated global economy? Are we seeing major reductions in child poverty and improvements in child wellbeing in countries with high levels of economic growth? What is happening to children in countries whose economies are experiencing slower growth or are not growing at all? Is the income and opportunity gap between countries and people increasing and, if so, what does this mean for children left behind? How will the rising costs of food and fuel affect children? And how will the global financial crisis and recession impact them? These are questions that are rarely asked – and even less frequently answered – in the corridors of power.
Political leaders and economic policy-making and analysis generally devote too little attention to the distributional effects of economic growth. This oversight is particularly pronounced when it comes to children. We have developed the first ever global, multidimensional tool that enables us to monitor how individual countries are performing in relation to the wellbeing of their children – the Child Development Index. The Index will help to ensure that governments are held to account for the impact of their policies and priorities on children.
We hope it will put a real spotlight on governments, so that good performers feel emboldened and proud of their achievements, and poor performers are pressured to up their game. In headline terms, our analysis shows that:
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There are still high levels of child poverty and deprivation in many countries (albeit often hidden from the public spotlight)
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income levels are a poor indicator of progress in reducing child deprivation
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children’s wellbeing does not necessarily improve in line with adult wellbeing
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There is considerable variation – between countries, globally and within regions – in terms of the rights, opportunities and wellbeing that children enjoy, with the obvious implication that national political and policy choices matter enormously for children’s wellbeing.
The Child Development Index has six sections. Section 1 highlights the key commitments that world leaders have made to children by signing up to international human rights conventions and political declarations. It outlines the gap between promises made and the reality. Section 2 considers the economic and social consequences of this collective failure to guarantee children’s rights and ensure their wellbeing. Section 3 explains how the Child Development Index was developed and what it seeks to measure. Section 4 highlights the varied performance of different countries, and provides a detailed analysis of trend by region and indicator. Section 5 pulls together some common themes from the analysis, identifying key policy issues that need to be urgently addressed if world leaders are to deliver on their promises to improve children’s wellbeing and provide all children with greater opportunities. And Section 6 draws together our conclusions, and puts forward recommendations for governments and international actors.
