Overview of the Report

• Key Findings: The report highlights the growing challenges faced by children due to three major global forces:

1. Demographic Shifts
2. Climate and Environmental Crises
3. Frontier Technologies

• Impact by 2050: These forces are projected to have profound effects on children’s lives, shaping their future in both positive and negative ways.

Climate and Environmental Crises: A Growing Threat

• Current Situation:
  • 1 billion children live in countries at high risk from climate and environmental hazards.
  • Climate destabilization, biodiversity collapse, and pollution are escalating globally.
• Adverse Effects on Children:
  • Pollution: Harmful to children’s respiratory health and development.
  • Rising Temperatures: Lead to increased mosquito populations, spreading diseases like malaria, dengue, and Zika.
  • Flooding: Contaminates water supplies, increasing risks of waterborne diseases, a major cause of child mortality.
  • Food Insecurity: Extreme weather reduces food production and access, heightening children’s risk of malnutrition.
  • Mental Health: Climate-related disasters contribute to feelings of trauma, anxiety, and helplessness in children.

Future Projections: By the 2050s

• Newborn Survival Rates:
  • Expected to rise by nearly 4 percentage points, reaching over 98% globally.
• Child Survival:
  • Probability of surviving to age 5 increases to 99.5%.
• Life Expectancy:
  • Expected increase in life expectancy to 81 years for girls and 76 years for boys.
• Exposure to Climate Hazards:
  • More children will be exposed to extreme climate risks compared to the 2000s.
• School Closures:
  • 400 million students have faced school closures due to extreme weather since 2022, inhibiting learning and economic growth.
• Displacement:
  • Climate and environmental disasters are contributing to the displacement of children and families.

Demographic Changes: The Global Child Population

• Stabilization of Child Population:
  • By 2050, the global child population is projected to stabilize at around 2.3 billion.
• Regional Distribution:
  • South Asia, Eastern and Southern Africa, and West and Central Africa are expected to have large child populations.
• Challenges in These Regions:
  • Struggling with climate risks and lacking adequate digital infrastructure to meet children’s needs.

Technological Advancements: A Double-Edged Sword

• Positive Potential:
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI), neurotechnology, renewable energy, and vaccine breakthroughs could significantly improve children’s futures.
• Digitalization:
  • While it can empower children, it also exposes them to online risks like sexual exploitation and abuse.

Socio-Economic Conditions

• Rising Poverty:
  • 23% of children will live in the 28 low-income countries by 2050, more than double the percentage in the 2000s.
• Economic Growth:
  • Projected GDP per capita will more than double in East Asia, the Pacific, and South Asia from the 2020s to the 2050s.

Urbanization and Its Impact

• Urban Growth:
  • By 2050, nearly 60% of children will live in urban areas, up from 44% in the 2000s.
• Urban Health and Safety:
  • Ensuring that urban areas are healthier and more secure is critical to building a better world for future generations.
• Digital Divide:
  • Over 95% of people in high-income countries have internet access, compared to 26% in low-income countries. This digital exclusion will worsen existing inequalities.