Understanding Child Poverty in South-Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States

[HELSINKI/ FLORENCE, 18 October 2006] - Despite widespread economic upturn in South-Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (SEE/CIS) since the late 1990s, one in four children under 15 is still living in extreme income poverty according to a recent UNICEF report.

The Innocenti Social Monitor 2006: Understanding Child Poverty in South-Eastern Europe and the and the Commonwealth of Independent States finds that while the number of children under 15 living in extreme poverty has decreased from 32 million to 18 million, stark disparities in child well-being and opportunities exist: the share of children now living in extreme poverty ranges from 5 per cent in some SEE countries to a startling 80 per cent in the poorest Central Asia countries.

Analysis of data from rural and urban settings, from households of different sizes and structures, throws up disparities within countries that particularly affect children in families where there are more than two siblings.

“Income poverty and deprivation have a distinct impact on children.They affect their immediate present and compromise their long term development,” said Marta Santos Pais, Director of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, at the launch of the report in the Finnish capital, Helsinki. “To tackle poverty and inequalities among children, policies and resources must be urgently directed towards children.”

Progress in improving other aspects of child well being - such as child mortality rates, pre-school attendance and access to safe water - has been sluggish and many governments in the region have not fully capitalised on the economic upswing to benefit children. Overall levels of public expenditure on health and education remain low in many countries and have not increased since 1998 despite economic recovery.
Direct income support in the form of state transfers for households with children are widespread in the region, much occurring in the form of pensions. However, income support targeted on children is often of too low value to have a significant impact on poverty reduction

“Child poverty should be the number one concern of governments in the region,” said Maria Calivis, UNICEF Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS). “Children continue to be placed in institutions, the numbers are not decreasing, and this despite a sharp decline in the birth rate. The future of the region is inextricably bound to the well-being of children. If the true potential of all these countries is to be achieved, there must be adequate investment in services for children,” she added.

Further information

• UNICEF Porgress for Children 2006 report: CEE/CIS Poorest children left behind
• Child Protection: A Resource Package for Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (December 2005)
• UNICEF CEE/CIS