KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A new report from the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) reveals that 58.9% of those living in poverty in Afghanistan are children.
Released on October 17, the report highlights that there are approximately five million more children living in poverty than adults, underlining the severe impact of Afghanistan’s economic crisis on its youth.
According to the report, 15.5 million children and 10.8 million adults in the country are suffering from multidimensional poverty. This includes deprivation in key areas such as housing, healthcare, electricity, nutrition, and education.
Poverty in Afghanistan has worsened in recent years. Between 2015/2016 and 2022/2023, the rate of multidimensional poverty rose by more than five percentage points. By 2022/2023, nearly two-thirds of Afghans (64.9%) were living in poverty, with children making up almost 60% of the impoverished population.
Jointly prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), the report covers 112 countries, analyzing 6.3 billion people worldwide, and examines the link between poverty and conflict. The findings show that globally, 1.1 billion people live in acute multidimensional poverty, with more than half of them (584 million) being under 18.
Afghanistan is among the world’s most vulnerable countries, with conflict and instability driving extreme poverty. The number of people living in poverty in the country has increased by 5.3 million over the past seven years, leaving children particularly at risk.
The report also points to the severe lack of education and nutrition, which are key contributors to poverty in Afghanistan. While the country’s population is estimated at 35 million, the MPI report notes that more than 22 million people in Afghanistan are under 18, reflecting the extent of the crisis.
Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, Afghanistan has plunged into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Its collapsed economy has cut off access to basic needs, disproportionately affecting children. According to the UN, over 12 million children in Afghanistan require urgent humanitarian assistance this year.
Malnutrition has become rampant. Last month, UNICEF reported that over 343,000 Afghan children had been admitted for acute malnutrition treatment since January 2024. In Nangarhar alone, at least 700 children have died from malnutrition and seasonal diseases in the past six months, with the true death toll likely higher due to unreported cases in remote areas.
Save the Children warned in May that over six million Afghan children face hunger at crisis or emergency levels, with nearly three million under the age of five suffering from acute malnutrition. The situation remains dire, with international agencies scrambling to meet the overwhelming needs in the country.