UNICEF - Global Annual Results Report 2025 Goal Area 5

Global Annual Results Report 2025

GOAL AREA 5

Every child has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from povertyCover image: © UNICEF/UNI844206/Pouget On 23 July 2025 in Ethiopia, Kabale Molu Godana (centre) holds her youngest son on her lap while attending the climate change adaptation training implemented by UNICEF as part of the Ethiopia Crises to Resilience programme supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). In 2022, Godana and her family were displaced due to the severe drought that hit the Horn of Africa, including eastern and southern Ethiopia. Having lost their livestock, this pastoralist family of three children had no choice but to leave their village in search of a better life. Now settled in the Dubuluk camp for internally displaced persons and after years of hardship due to a very precarious economic situation, the family is gradually rebuilding its life. Thanks to cash assistance provided by the FCDO through UNICEF, Derara’s parents recently invested in a goat and chickens, hoping to regain their independence and offer a better future for their children.

Expression of thanks: © UNICEF/UNI785204/Osman Khayyam On 20 March 2025, a group of children are photographed at their homes in rural Daychopan district, Zabul province, Afghanistan where UNICEF has recently distributed cash assistance.

In these ultra-remote regions, families struggle to afford good nutrition for themselves and their children, and cannot afford to travel long distances to health facilities. This poorly affects their children’s health and nutrition in the early years of their lives. With support from the Asian Development Bank and other partners, UNICEF is delivering cash assistance to more than 66,000 households in this 1,000-day window - those with children who are less than 2 years old and with pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Families receive $20 per month, paid out in a $60 lump sum every quarter. The 66,000 eligible families are from Zabul, Kunar,

households in this 1,000-day window - those with children who are less than 2 years old and with pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Families receive $20 per month, paid out in a $60 lump sum every quarter. The 66,000 eligible families are from Zabul, Kunar, Samangan and Badghis provinces, where the global acute malnutrition rate is more than 10 per cent, according to surveillance data. For 18 months, these families will receive cash assistance to buy food and other basic needs including paying for hospital visits.Expression of thanks UNICEF’s work for children is funded entirely through individual donations and the voluntary support of our partners in government, civil society and the private sector. Voluntary contributions enable UNICEF to deliver on its mandate to protect children’s rights, to reduce poverty, and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. We take this opportunity to thank all our partners for their commitment and trust in UNICEF. Flexible thematic funding played an enabling role in sustaining programming in highly constrained and underfunded contexts. This flexibility was essential to maintaining timely, child-centered assistance in contexts where financing contracted and operating environments deteriorated. In 2025, the European Commission, the German state-owned investment and development bank (KfW), the World Bank via the Government of Mali and the government of Sweden contributed critical support to Strategic Plan, Goal Area 5 “Every child has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from poverty” through their non-thematic window. In addition, the United Kingdom and the Danish private sector partners also contributed critical country-specific allocations in support of vital, game-changing interventions to reduce child poverty. UNICEFis grateful to the UN Multi Partner Trust Fund and the governments of Spain for their critical support to this area of work and in particular for their continuous commitment and support to realize the right of every child to social protection. UNICEF continues to be committed to advancing the rights of all children, a mission as urgent today as it was 80 years ago and 37 years since the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In May 2025, major investments in Goal Area 5 reduced child poverty, strengthened social protection, strengthened public finance, expanded

UNICEF continues to be committed to advancing the rights of all children, a mission as urgent today as it was 80 years ago and 37 years since the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In May 2025, major investments in Goal Area 5 reduced child poverty, strengthened social protection, strengthened public finance, expanded humanitarian cash assistance, and catalyzed commitments to child-sensitive policies across sectors. UNICEF works with governments, partners, civil society, and youth to address setbacks in child poverty and ensure every child’s rights are realized. This report is one of five Global Annual Results Reports on the results of efforts during the past year, ‘Every child survives and thrives, ‘Every child learns’, ‘Every child is protected from violence and exploitation’, ‘Every child lives in a safe and clean environment’ and ‘Every child has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from poverty’. This report supplementing the 2025 Executive Director Annual Report. Georgina Dunia Nabundenge, 55, sits with her grandchildren, Misha (4) and Jeanine (8), in her shop in Minova, Kalehe territory, South Kivu province, DR Congo, on 23 April 2025. © UNICEF/UNI789158/Christian Mirindi JohnsonContents Executive summary .....................................3 Strategic context .........................................5 Goal Area 5: A life free of poverty and inclusive social protection ..........................8 Reducing child poverty .................................................... 10 Protecting the rights of children through greater and more equitable investments .................................. 12 Access to inclusive and integrated social protection systems in all contexts .................................................... 16 Strengthening social protection systems & delivery in fragile contexts .............................................. 19 Lessons learned and looking forward .....22 Endnotes .....................................................24 Financial annex ..........................................252 GOAL AREA 5 | Every child has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from poverty Abbreviations and acronyms ALIFA Analisis dan Layanan Informasi Fiskal terkait Anak COP Conference of the Parties DFAT Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ECD Early Childhood Development EDAR Executive Director Annual Report EU European Union

Abbreviations and acronyms ALIFA Analisis dan Layanan Informasi Fiskal terkait Anak COP Conference of the Parties DFAT Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ECD Early Childhood Development EDAR Executive Director Annual Report EU European Union FFD4 Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development GA Goal Area Gavi Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance GBV Gender Based Violence HCT Humanitarian Cash Transfers HOPE Humanitarian Cash Operations and Programme Ecosystem INFF Integrated National Financing Frameworks IFI International Financial Institutions KfW Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau MICS Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys MISSA Management Information System for Social Assistance NDA National Disability Allowance NISSA National Information System for Social Assistance OBS Open Budget Survey ODA Official Development Assistance OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OPT Occupied Palestinian Territory. PF4C Public Finance for Children PFF Public Finance Facility PFM Public Financial Management SDG Sustainable Development Goal SIPD Sistem Informasi Pemerintahan Daerah SOWC State of the World’s Children SP Strategic Plan UCB Universal Child Benefit UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund WB World BankExecutive summary Sylvia, 6, plays with social worker Katya Kirova at the Community Support Center in Burgas, Bulgaria, on 20 August 2025. © UNICEF/UNI867480/Minkov4 GOAL AREA 5 | Every child has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from poverty In 2025, UNICEF advanced its Goal Area 5 commitment to ensure that every child has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from poverty, despite a difficult global context marked by economic uncertainty, shrinking fiscal space, high debt, conflict, climate shocks and reductions in official development assistance. Nearly 900 million children globally continue to experience multidimensional poverty and some 412 million live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $3 each day. While extreme poverty is an issue increasingly concentrated in

fiscal space, high debt, conflict, climate shocks and reductions in official development assistance. Nearly 900 million children globally continue to experience multidimensional poverty and some 412 million live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $3 each day. While extreme poverty is an issue increasingly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, even in some of the world’s wealthiest countries, millions of children are affected by poverty, underscoring the urgency of sustained investment in child-sensitive policies, systems and services. UNICEF strengthened global and national action to end child poverty by combining evidence generation, advocacy, technical assistance and partnerships. The launch of The State of the World’s Children 2025: Ending Child Poverty Our Shared Imperative and the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty, co-chaired by UNICEF and Save the Children, helped elevate child poverty as a central policy and financing priority. UNICEF and partners also supported countries to use child poverty measurement and analysis to inform national planning, voluntary national reviews, parliamentary dialogue, poverty reduction strategies and SDG reporting. Public finance for children remained central to UNICEF’s contribution. In 2025, 93 countries strengthened social sector budgets, including social protection, and 98 countries mobilized international and private financing for social service delivery. Through technical assistance, fiscal analysis, budget briefs, digital budget tagging, public financial management support and engagement with international financial institutions, UNICEF helped governments protect and prioritize social investments for children, including in fiscally constrained and fragile settings. UNICEF also supported governments to expand and strengthen inclusive, shock-responsive social protection systems. Country examples show progress in legal and policy frameworks, social registries, payment systems, disability-inclusive delivery, gender-responsive cash-plus approaches, case management, referral pathways and links to essential services. These results contributed to stronger national systems for reaching children and families affected by poverty, disability, displacement, gender inequality and recurrent shocks.

policy frameworks, social registries, payment systems, disability-inclusive delivery, gender-responsive cash-plus approaches, case management, referral pathways and links to essential services. These results contributed to stronger national systems for reaching children and families affected by poverty, disability, displacement, gender inequality and recurrent shocks. In humanitarian and fragile contexts, UNICEF delivered US$559 million in cash, including US$322 million in humanitarian cash transfers and US$237 million in cash incentive payments to frontline workers. Humanitarian cash transfers reached approximately 0.9 million households, helping families meet essential needs while preserving dignity, choice and agency. UNICEF’s Humanitarian Cash Operations and Programme Ecosystem (HOPE), used in 25 country offices, strengthened digital delivery, accountability and operational oversight. Looking forward, UNICEF will build on the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan cycle by strengthening economic and social policy work through UNICEF’s new Economic and Social Policy Global Practice. Technical assistance will be organized around Programme Offer roles, including Policy Reform and Programme Design, Financing for Scale, Digital and Infrastructure, Workforce Development and Institution Building, Humanitarian and Resilience, Equity and Demand Generation, and Programme Management Scale-Up Support. Flexible and predictable funding will remain essential to protect children’s rights and sustain results in the highest-risk settings.Strategic context On 23 July 2025 in Ethiopia, 7-year-old Derara holds his schoolbooks and smiles while posing for a portrait in the entrance to his family’s makeshift shelter. He dreams of someday living in a real house with steel walls and having a bicycle to ride. © UNICEF/UNI844150/Pouget6 GOAL AREA 5 | Every child has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from poverty In 2025, global progress in reducing child poverty remained limited and highly uneven. Nearly 900 million children continued to experience multidimensional poverty, and 412 million lived on less than PPP US$3.00 a day 1 . Children are twice as likely as adults to experience

In 2025, global progress in reducing child poverty remained limited and highly uneven. Nearly 900 million children continued to experience multidimensional poverty, and 412 million lived on less than PPP US$3.00 a day 1 . Children are twice as likely as adults to experience extreme and multidimensional poverty 2 . Despite efforts by many governments, millions of children still lack access to essential services such as health, nutrition, education, adequate housing, and sanitation. Progress remains fragile, especially in lowand middle-income countries as climate shocks, conflict, economic volatility, and high debt, which in some countries now exceed spending on health and education, continue to undermine poverty reduction and threaten children’s futures. BOX 1: Severe deprivation rates among children by country income group (based on number of deprivations) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Severe child deprivation rate (%) +1 Low income Lower-middle income Upper-middle income Total (lowand middle-income) Number of deprivations 3% 1% 18% 4% 1% 7% 50% 18% 6% 22% 80% 48% 26% 51% +2 +3 +4 +1 +2 +3 +4 +1 +2 +3 +4 +1 +2 +3 +4 0% 0% Source: UNICEF. 2025. The State of the World’s Children 2025: Ending Child Poverty – Our Shared Imperative (page.14). New York: United Nations Children’s Fund. Figure based on UNICEF analysis of Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), compiled by Save the Children. At the same time, important gains demonstrate that progress is possible. Twenty countries have successfully halved their multidimensional child poverty rates since 2000 3 . Social protection systems have expanded substantially, with 4.7 billion people in low and middleincome countries now living in households that receive or contribute to at least one social protection benefit

progress is possible. Twenty countries have successfully halved their multidimensional child poverty rates since 2000 3 . Social protection systems have expanded substantially, with 4.7 billion people in low and middleincome countries now living in households that receive or contribute to at least one social protection benefit 4 . However, these gains have not reached children at the scale required: more than two-thirds of children globally—1.5 billion—remain without access to social protection cash benefits 5 . Accelerating reductions in child poverty will require sustained political commitment to prioritize children, expand child-sensitive and inclusive social protection, and invest in systems resilient to converging shocks. The world has experienced a historic rise in conflict: 2024 and 2025 have seen the highest number of countries engaged in armed conflict since World War II. Conflict causes poverty through multiple pathways. It undermines economic stability and household welfare, destroys infrastructure, and disrupts public services such as water, education and energy 6 . More than 460 million children live in, or are fleeing from, situations of violence and conflict, and one in two children in these settings live in extreme poverty 7 . While extreme child poverty has declined in more stable contexts, it has increased from 42 per cent in 2014 to 50 per cent in 2024 in conflict-affected settings 8 . Poverty reduction progress is exceptionally challenging in such contexts, and social protection coverage remains limited and fragmented. At the same time, nearly half of the world’s children live in countries facing extremely high climate-related risks, compounding shocks to livelihoods,7 Global Annual Results Report 2025 | UNICEF services, and household coping capacities. In this context, rapid assessments, preparedness of national social protection systems, and timely delivery of cash assistance through national and UNICEF-supported mechanisms are essential to meet immediate needs while safeguarding access to services in fragile and humanitarian settings. In 2025, UNICEF under 2022-2025 programme continued

rapid assessments, preparedness of national social protection systems, and timely delivery of cash assistance through national and UNICEF-supported mechanisms are essential to meet immediate needs while safeguarding access to services in fragile and humanitarian settings. In 2025, UNICEF under 2022-2025 programme continued its steadfast efforts to ensure that every child, including adolescents, has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from poverty. UNICEF’s commitments under this area of work supported the realization of the right to social security and the right to an adequate standard of living, as set out in the CRC, while also supporting acceleration of progress across child-specific SDGs, particularly 1 and 10. Reaching these SDG child poverty targets by 2030 requires extraordinary, concerted commitment, investment and action at sub-national, national, regional and global levels. SDG 1: No poverty SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities Eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than US$1.25 a day (Target 1.1) Reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions (Target 1.2) Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all (Target 1.3) By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status (Target 10.2)Goal Area 5: A life free of poverty and inclusive social protection Morjina with her 10-month-old child Abubakkar at their home in Comilla, Bangladesh. © UNICEF/UNI865873/Royena Rasnat9 Global Annual Results Report 2025 | UNICEF In 2025, UNICEF continued to advance Goal Area 5 by working with governments, partners and international financial institutions to reduce child poverty, improve financing and policy implementation, and strengthen inclusive, shock-responsive social protection systems.

Global Annual Results Report 2025 | UNICEF In 2025, UNICEF continued to advance Goal Area 5 by working with governments, partners and international financial institutions to reduce child poverty, improve financing and policy implementation, and strengthen inclusive, shock-responsive social protection systems. UNICEF support focused on child poverty analysis and advocacy, child-sensitive public finance, local governance, social protection delivery systems, and cash-based assistance for families affected by crises. Goal Area (GA) 5 expenditure totaled US$607 million, down from the US$820 million peak in the previous year (2024), reflecting downward adjustments in official development assistance and tightening fiscal space in many countries. Of this, US$195 million was ORE or 32 per cent of the total expenses. In this constrained environment, UNICEF increasingly prioritized focused and differentiated technical support to protect essential systems and strengthen programme resilience, inclusion and shock-responsiveness. Child poverty evidence was increasingly used to inform national policies and programming, helping to sharpen targeting, track disparities and strengthen accountability for results. UNICEF supported strengthened social sector budgeting, including for social protection, and helped broaden the resource base for children through mobilization of international and private-sector financing. Social protection systems also became more inclusive and shock-responsive, with progress in legal and policy frameworks, financing, coverage, intersectoral linkages, data systems and delivery capacity. UNICEF-supported cash-based programmes reached vulnerable households while also strengthening digital delivery, monitoring and accountability systems. On 13 August 2025, Antini Mahepa,17, is seen as the sun rises near her home in the Malagalasi Village in the Uvinza District of the Kigoma Region in Tanzania. For Antini, the machine is more than a piece of equipment — it is the key to independence and a brighter future. Antini’s training has been supported by ‘Ujana Salama,’ a UNICEF-funded programme providing vulnerable adolescents with resources, vocational training, and mentoring to build sustainable livelihoods.

and a brighter future. Antini’s training has been supported by ‘Ujana Salama,’ a UNICEF-funded programme providing vulnerable adolescents with resources, vocational training, and mentoring to build sustainable livelihoods.

© UNICEF/UNI87045110

GOAL AREA 5 | Every child has access to inclusive social protection and lives free from poverty Reducing child poverty Communicating and advocating for an end to child poverty In 2025, UNICEF reinforced its global leadership in advocating for an end to child poverty, positioning the issue as a core social, economic and child rights priority. UNICEF used evidence, strategic communication and highlevel advocacy to promote a shared message: ending child poverty is possible when governments prioritize children and invest in effective policies and systems. UNICEF contributed to global policy dialogue at the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, including through a dedicated side event on crosssectoral partnerships and solutions to end child poverty, co-led with Save the Children with participation from governments of Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, and Rwanda. The event created space for governments to share lessons on reducing child poverty and reinforced the importance of national leadership, sustained investment and integrated social protection. The launch of The State of the World’s Children 2025: Ending Child Poverty, Our Shared Imperative, on World Children’s Day provided another global advocacy platform. Convened in Johannesburg during the G20 Social Summit in partnership with the Government of South Africa, the high-level event “Championing solutions to end child poverty” highlighted country leadership, evidence and the voices of children and young people. It called for accelerated action to make ending child poverty a global and national priority. South Africa’s leadership, for example, emphasized the critical role of large-scale programmes such as the Child Support Grant, reaching over 13 million children as well as the need for stronger, integrated approaches across sectors. The event also amplified calls for global solidarity and collective action, urging governments, G20 members, and partners to move from commitments to

the critical role of large-scale programmes such as the Child Support Grant, reaching over 13 million children as well as the need for stronger, integrated approaches across sectors. The event also amplified calls for global solidarity and collective action, urging governments, G20 members, and partners to move from commitments to implementation. The launch was amplified through a coordinated global communications campaign aligned with World Children’s Day, leveraging digital platforms and social media to expand reach and engagement. The report itself underscored that child poverty remains one of the greatest barriers to realizing children’s rights and achieving sustainable development. Drawing data from more than 130 lowand middle-income countries, The State of the World’s Children 2025 examined multidimensional child poverty across six areas of deprivation: education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, and water. The analysis found that more than one in five children in lowand middle-income countries, approximately 417 million children are severely deprived in at least two areas essential to their survival, development, and well-being. The report highlighted that the youngest children, children with disabilities, and children living in humanitarian and fragile contexts are particularly vulnerable to overlapping forms of deprivation. The State of the World’s Children 2025 highlighted that ending child poverty is achievable when governments commit to effective policies and sustained investment in children, pointing to the overall decline since 2013 and country examples such as Tanzania, which achieved a significant reduction in multidimensional child poverty between 2000 and 2023. Building on these lessons and established evidence, the report called for accelerated global action in 5 key areas: a) making ending child poverty a national; b) creating Fiscal Space and Supportive Macroeconomic Policies that protect child-related spending and use child-sensitive budgeting; c) expanding inclusive and shock-responsive social protection; d) expanding access to quality public services, e) promoting decent work for parents and caregivers to strengthen their economic security, which is closely linked to children’s progress. Supporting national child poverty measurement and

child-sensitive budgeting; c) expanding inclusive and shock-responsive social protection; d) expanding access to quality public services, e) promoting decent work for parents and caregivers to strengthen their economic security, which is closely linked to children’s progress. Supporting national child poverty measurement and analysis to policies and strategies to end child poverty UNICEF also supported national child poverty measurement and analysis. In Bangladesh, multidimensional poverty analysis informed the Government’s voluntary national review and SDG progress reporting. In Eswatini, UNICEF supported development of a multi-sectoral Child Poverty Reduction Action Plan based on analysis showing that 46.6 per cent of children face multidimensional deprivation. In Uzbekistan, child poverty studies continued to inform policymaking, parliamentary oversight and civil society dialogue. In Uruguay, UNICEF contributed to positioning child poverty as a national political priority. In fragile and humanitarian settings, UNICEF supported stronger child poverty and vulnerability analysis where data gaps remain significant. In Somalia, UNICEF supported dialogue with federal ministries, federal member states, Parliament and civil society, contributing to a transition toward national ownership of child poverty measurement. In South Sudan, UNICEF initiated a child poverty study following preliminary MICS7 findings. In Madagascar, completion of MICS7 and vulnerability analysis provided evidence to better understand children’s overlapping risks and deprivations.11 Global Annual Results Report 2025 | UNICEF At global level, UNICEF also supported this national work with global evidence and analysis. In 2025, UNICEF and the World Bank Group jointly produced and released the third report as part of monitoring SDG1 for childrenChild Poverty: Global, Regional and Select National Trends, strengthening the global evidence base on monetary child poverty and reinforcing the urgency of accelerated action. The publication presented updated estimates showing that approximately 412 million children were living in extreme poverty in 2024, surviving on less than US$3 per day under the World Bank’s revised international poverty

strengthening the global evidence base on monetary child poverty and reinforcing the urgency of accelerated action. The publication presented updated estimates showing that approximately 412 million children were living in extreme poverty in 2024, surviving on less than US$3 per day under the World Bank’s revised international poverty line. The report highlighted important regional disparities, noting that while significant reductions in child poverty were achieved in parts of South Asia and East Asia and the Pacific, progress remained stagnant in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for nearly three quarters of children living in extreme poverty globally. The joint analysis emphasized that ending child poverty requires sustained investments in social protection, human capital, and inclusive economic growth, while also demonstrating that progress is achievable through deliberate policy choices and longterm commitment. The collaboration further reinforced UNICEF’s strategic partnership with the World Bank in advancing global child poverty measurement, analysis, and advocacy. Case study 1: Uzbekistan accelerates child poverty reduction through social protection and evidence-based policy Uzbekistan has made rapid progress in reducing child poverty, cutting the rate from 21.5 per cent in 2021 to 11.4 per cent in 2024, effectively halving it within four years. This achievement reflects sustained government commitment to poverty reduction and demonstrates the impact of social protection and economic reforms in improving outcomes for children and