Child poverty, inequality and demography: Why sub-Saharan Africa matters for the Sustainable Development Goals

Children in Africa will on current trends account for 43% of global poverty by 2030, almost double the current share, due to a combination of demographic change, deep poverty and extreme inequality, warns a new report from the Overseas Development Institute. Researchers at the UK’s leading think tank on development estimate that one-in-five children in the region – some 147.7 million in total - will be living on less than $1.90 by 2030, the target date set by the international community for eliminating extreme poverty. The sub-Saharan Africa region will also account for 88 per cent of all children living in extreme poverty - up from around 50 per cent today. The report, ‘Child poverty, inequality and demography: why sub-Saharan Africa matters for the Sustainable Development Goals’, is the first attempt to chart the evolving age profile of world poverty. It highlights the critical role of demographic transitions – the shift towards a pattern of increased child survival, declining fertility and longer life expectancy - in shaping global and regional poverty.