• In Africa, mortality rates among children under five decreased by 45 per cent between 1990 and 2012, but still half of the world's 6.6 million under-five deaths occur in Africa.

• Pneumonia, malaria and diarrhoeaaccount for 40% of all under-five deaths in Africa.

• At least 1 in 3 children under five in Africa were stunted in 2011.

• In 2012, there were an estimated 2.9 million children under 15 years living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Over half of the world’s out-of-school children (33 million) live in Africa.

• The population in Africa with access to an improved drinking source more than doubled from 1990 to 2012.

• There has been major progress in the last decade in the use of insecticide-treated nets among children.C

hild

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The child population in Africa is burgeoning; by 2050, 1 in every 3 children under 18 will be African

Between 2010 and 2025, the child population of sub-Saharan Africa will rise by 130 million.

From around 2030, sub-Saharan Africa will be the single region with the greatest number of children under 18.

By 2050, 1 in every 3births and almost 1 in every 3 children under 18 will be African

0

10

20

30

40

50

1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050

Po

pu

lati

on

(in

mill

ion

s)

CEE/CIS East Asia and PacificIndustrialized countries Latin America and CaribbeanMiddle East and North Africa South AsiaSub-Saharan Africa

Source: You, D., and D. Anthony. “Generation 2025: The critical importance of understanding demographic trends for the children of the 21st century”. UNICEF Occasional Paper, no. 1, September 2012.

Prepared by: UNICEF Data & AnalyticsDivision of Policy and StrategyMay 2014

Find the latest statistics on children in Africa at theUNICEF-Statistics website: www.childinfo.org

Key Statistics

Sub-Saharan Africa

South Asia

East Asia and Pacific

Number of births by UNICEF regions, 1950 - 2050

Every Child Counts

UN

ICEF/N

YHQ

2012

-1060/N

oo

rani

Note: Maps in this brochure are stylized and not to scale. They do not reflect a position by UNICEF on the legal status of any country or territory or the deliminatation of any frontiers. The final boundary between the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined.

4

1110 8

1619

2827

11

25

16

35

4845

41

49

6057

88

23

32

38 38

46

62

69

50 52

62

71

85

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Niger('08, '09,'10, '12)

Sierra Leone('05, '08, '10)

Burkina Faso('09, '11, '12)

Guinea Bissau('06, '11)

Mauritania('07, '08,'09, '10)

Togo('06, '08, '11)

Burundi('05, '10)

UnitedRepublic

of Tanzania('05, '10)

Ethiopia('05, '11)

Uganda('06, '11)

Malawi('06, '10)

Rwanda('05, '10)

Child Malnutrition in Africa

Recent advances in 7 African countries show that rapid progress in exclusive breastfeeding is possible

Key facts:• Stunting, or being too short for one’s age, is

linked with irreversible long term consequences; it diminishes chances of succeeding in school and of living healthy and productive lives.

• Africa is the only region with nearly negligible changes in the percentage (%) of stunted children since 1990.

• While other regions have halved the number of stunted children, Africa has increased by one third (due both to population growth and minimal progress in reduction of the percentage of stunted children).

• There are stark disparities between the richest and poorest in most AU sub-regions.

Stunting disparities are greatest in Western Africa

Source for all charts: UNICEF global databases 2014, based on DHS, MICS, and other national surveys; UNICEF, World Bank, WHO Joint Malnutrition Estimates, 2013.

Percentage of under-fives stunted (moderate and severe), by wealth quintile, 2007-2012 (%)

Trends in the percentage of infants 0-5 months old that are exclusively breastfed, in well-performing countries, 2005-2012 (%)

Well-performing countries Significant (> 15 percentage point) increases in the last 5 years

Additional well-performing countries Current high (>50 per cent) achievement

14.3million

newborns in the African Union were exclusively

breastfed in 2012

24.3

24.3 million newborns in the African Union were

not exclusively

breastfed in 2012

Non-exclusively breastfed infants could be at a substantially greater risk of death from diarrhoea than exclusively breastfed infants.

Rapid progress in exclusive breastfeeding is possible and needs to be prioritized

Stunting in Africa: falling far behind other regionsMillions of under-fives stunted, by region, 1990-2012 and Percentage of under-fives stunted, by region, 1990-2012 (%)

48

17

48

25

48

28

45

26

30

27

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0.5 5.5Western Central Southern Eastern Northern

Africa Africa Africa Africa Africa

● poorest quintile● richest quintile--- gap

46 Africa 59

192 Asia91

14 LAC

7

42%

35%

48%

25%

25%

13%

40%

25%

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2012

0

10

20

30

40

50

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Pro

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-fiv

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line)

Mill

ion

s o

f st

un

ted

un

der

-fiv

es (

bar

)

Exclusive breastfeeding

HIV/AIDS and Malaria in Africa

An estimated 2.9 million children under 15 years were living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2012; about 10 per cent of which were newly infected, mainly through mother-to-child transmission of HIV

Key facts:• Although progress has been made in

Africa to increase the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV and increasing pediatric anti-retroviral therapy (ART) coverage, much more progress is needed.

• In 2012, around 230,000 children were newly infected with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Across Africa, about 3% of all under-five deaths are caused by HIV/AIDS, and in Southern Africa, an estimated 11% of under-five deaths are attributed to HIV/AIDS.

• Although some progress has been made, ARV coverage for PMTCT varied from 30% in Western Africa to 81% in Southern Africa in 2012.

Source: UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO, 2013 Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting, and UNAIDS, Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, 2013

Source: UNICEF global databases 2014, based on DHS, MICS, and other national surveys

Major progress during the last decade in the use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) among children

• During the last decade, the proportion of children sleeping under ITNs in sub-Saharan Africa increased from less than 5 per cent to over a third.

• In Madagascar and the United Republic of Tanzania, coverage increased from less than 3 per cent to over 70 per cent.

• Mass campaigns for distribution of ITNs are used to ensure that everyone is reached.

Children under-five sleeping under ITNs in Africa, early 2000s and around 2012

Coverage of Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) and pediatric Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) coverage, by region, 2012 (%)

Malaria case management in endemic countries

• The use of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) to confirm malaria infection before starting treatment is still low.

• In most endemic countries, less than 50 per cent of febrile children under-five who receive anti-malarials are treated with artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), the recommended first line antimalarial drug.

Less than 10%

10-24%

25-50%

51-80%

Not malaria endemic

Data not available

Early 2000s

Around 2012

30

35

43

63

81

63

0

20

40

60

80

100

Coverage of the most effective ARVs for PMTCT

16 1518

30

46

32

Pediatric ART coverage

Western Africa

Central Africa

Northern Africa

Eastern Africa

Southern Africa

AFRICA

Child marriage, birth registration and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)

Countries with high levels of child marriage tend to have high levels of early childbearing

Nearly four in ten young women in Africa were married or in union before age 18

Source for all charts: UNICEF global databases 2014, based on DHS, MICS, other national surveys, censuses and vital registration systems

• More than 125 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM/C in 29 countries across Africa and the Middle East.

• Another 30 million girls are at risk of being cut in the next decade.

• In most countries where FGM/C is practiced, the majority of women and men think it should end.

FGM/C is concentrated in a swath of countries from the Atlantic Coast to the Horn of AfricaPercentage of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone FGM/C, by regions within countries

Percentage of women aged 20-24 who were first married or in union by age 18, and who gave birth by age 18, in African countries with available data, 2005-2012 (%)

Percentage of women aged 20-24 years who were first married or in union before ages 15 and 18, by region, 2005-2012 (%)

11

2

10

16

9

12

23

10

27

24

31

29

0 10 20 30 40 50

World(excluding China)

Northern Africa

Eastern Africa

Western Africa

Southern Africa

Central Africa

Married or in union by age 15 Married or in union between ages 15 and 18

Levels of birth registration vary widely across Africa, from a low of 3 per cent in Somalia to a high of 99 per cent in Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt

Percentage of children under age five whose births are registered, 2005-2012 (%)

3

16

4

14

59

92 91 9195 99

0

20

40

60

80

100

Eastern Africa Central Africa Western Africa Southern Africa Northern Africa

Regional average

Country with the lowest birth registration level

Country with the highest birth registration level

Percentage of children under age five whose births are registered; by region, and highest and lowest countries, 2005-2012 (%)

0

20

40

60

0 20 40 60 80

Wo

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n w

ho

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irth

by

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18

Women first married or in union by age 18

Less than 25%25-50%51-75%76-90%Above 90%Data not available

Each dot represents one country

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

1.2

Education in Africa

Only twelve African countries are near achieving universal primary education

Sources for above charts and map: UNICEF global databases, 2014 and UNESCO Institute for Statistics databases, 2013

Progress in primary enrolment has stagnated in recent years

Key facts:• Over half of the world’s out-of-school children

(33 million) live in Africa.• Girls are more likely to be out of school than

boys.• Children with disabilities are over-represented in

the out-of-school population.• Progress in reducing the out-of-school children

population has slowed down since 2005.• Many children fail to complete a full primary

education and fail to master basic literacy and numeracy skills.

In Africa, boys are more likely to be enrolled in primary school than girls

Net enrolment/attendance rate, 2007-2012

Net enrolment/ attendance rate

Gender parity index of primary enrolment, girls as a percentage of boys, African countries, 2008-2012

Even if they progress through the grades, many primary school children do not acquire basic knowledge and skillsPercent of cohort who reach grade 4 and achieve a minimal education level

0

20

40

60

80

100

Did not reach grade 4

Reached grade 4

Reached grade 4 and achieved minimum level of learning

Note: The definition of minimum learning levels differs between the two surveys, the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) and the Programme of Analysis of Education Systems of the CONFEMEN (PASEC) and thus the results are not comparable. Source: EFA Global Monitoring Report 2012

SACMEQ, 2007 PASEC, 2004 - 2008

Parity

<70%70 – 84%85 – 94%95 – 100%Data not available

Girls more likely to be enrolled

Boys more likely to be enrolled

46 44 43 41 39 37 35 33 32 33 34 33

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

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90

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0

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40

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2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Ou

t-o

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(m

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Ad

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%)

Out-of-school boys of primary school age Out-of-school children of primary school age, Total Adjusted primary net enrolment rate for girls

Adjusted primary net enrolment rate for boys Adjusted primary net enrolment rate total

Out-of-school girls of primary school age

Primary school adjusted net enrolment rate (%) and out-of-school population of primary school age (millions) in Africa by sex, 2000-2011

Each marker represents the GPI of one country

All regions in Africa have experienced marked declines in under-five mortality since 1990In Africa, mortality rates among children under five (U5MR) have decreased by 45 per cent from 162 deaths per 1,000

live births in 1990 to 90 in 2012, but still half of the world's 6.6 million under-five deaths occur in Africa.

Child Mortality in Africa

Pneumonia, malaria and diarrhoea account for40% of all under-five deaths in Africa

Under-five mortality rate by country (deaths per 1,000 live births) and number of under five deaths by sub-region, 2012

Source: UNICEF analysis based on IGME 2013 and WHO & CHERG 2014

Distribution of under-five deaths in Africa by cause, 2012

Western Africa 1,386,000

Central Africa 631,000

Eastern Africa790,000

Northern Africa 98,000

Southern Africa 427,000

Despite declining rates, neonatal deaths are growing as a share of under-five deaths, amid faster progress in reducing mortality in the post-neonatal period

Age distribution of under-five deaths, Africa, 1990-2012

Under-five mortality rate, 1990-2012

Under-five mortality rate

Globally, almost half of all under-five deaths are attributable to malnutrition0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Child deaths(ages 1 to 4)

Post-neonatal deaths(1-11 months)

Neonatal deaths(first month)

27%34%

48

90

131

113

90

70

24

90

162

165

206

148

167

74

0 50 100 150 200 250

World

Africa

Central Africa

Western Africa

Southern Africa

Eastern Africa

Northern Africa

Under-five deaths per 1,000 live births

1990

2012

Pneumonia (neonatal), 2%

Preterm birth complications, 11%

Intrapartum-related events, 10%

Sepsis, meningitis and

encephalitis, 6%

Tetanus, 1%

Congenital abnormalities, 2%

Other neonatal, 2%

Diarrhoea (neonatal), 0%

Diarrhoea (post-neonatal), 10%

Malaria, 14%

Injuries, 5%

Meningitis and encephalitis, 3%

AIDS, 3%

Measles, 2%

Other, 16%

Pneumonia (post-neonatal), 14%

Pneumonia 16%

All other causes of

death 23%

Neonatal 34%

Diarrhoea 10%Malaria

14%

Drinking Water and Sanitation in Africa

The population with access to an improved drinking water source in Africa more than doubled, from 351 million in 1990 to 746 million in 2012

In Africa only 39% of the population uses an improved sanitation facility; the population without access grew by 239 million despite 214 million people gaining access since 1990

Key facts:

• Drinking water coverage in Africa increased from 56% in 1990 to 69% in 2012.

• This rate of progress is not sufficient to meet the continent’s MDG drinking water target of 78% by 2015.

• Just over a quarter (27%) of the African population enjoys the convenience and associated health benefits of a piped drinking water supply on premises.

• The population without access to an improved drinking water source increased from 279 million in 1990 to 389 million in 2010, and then decreased to 338 million in 2012.

• Open defecation rates in Eastern Africa declined most from 45% in 1990 to 27% in 2012.

• Western and Central Africa made the least progress on sanitation.

• In Southern Africa 18% of the population still practices open defecation.

• Malawi, Angola, Ethiopia and Benin registered declines in open defecation rates of 25 percentage points or more since 1990. Sierra Leone, Sudan and Tanzania registered an increase in open defecation rates (see below).

Improved drinking water coverage in Africa, 2012 (%)

Sanitation coverage trends in Africa, sub-regions and urban and rural areas, 1990-2012

Source for all charts: WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2014 Update (forthcoming – April 2014) Open defecationImproved facilities Shared facilities Unimproved facilities

Western Southern Eastern Central NorthAfrica Africa Africa Africa Africa

32

19 2112

5

6

9

15

21 249

14

11

13

12

16

63

78

1425

27 26 3133

44

53

35 40

40

2534

2834

2432

23

2615

23

38

71

3424 25

32

49

90

39

0

20

40

60

80

100

WesternAfrica

EasternAfrica

CentralAfrica

SouthernAfrica

NorthernAfrica

Africa

(Co

vera

ge %

)

1990 2012

112229

15

29

(mill

ion

s)

99196

186

205

(mill

ion

s)

Urban

Rural

1990 2012

1990 2012

3 3

Sierra Leone

52

60

60

64

67

74

74

74

75

76

80

82

87

89

90

46

51

68

74

75

75

92

97

50

84

84

97

99

Niger

Togo

Sierra Leone

Nigeria

Mali

Guinea-Bissau

Guinea

Liberia

Senegal

Benin

Côte d’Ivoire

Burkina Faso

Ghana

Cape Verde

Gambia

DR Congo

Chad

CAR

Cameroon

Burundi

Congo

Gabon

Sao Tomé & Pr.

Mauritania

Morocco

Algeria

Tunisia

Egypt

50

52

53

55

62

71

75

92

96

Ethiopia

Tanzania

Sudan

Kenya

Rwanda

Uganda

Djibouti

Seychelles

Mauritius

Madagascar49

54

63

74

80

81

85

92

95

97

Mozambique

Angola

Zambia

Swaziland

Zimbabwe

Lesotho

Malawi

Namibia

South Africa

Botswana

South Sudan ND

Somalia ND

Eritrea ND

Comoros ND

Equatorial Guinea ND

Libya ND

57

92

66

80

38

18

9

24

37 40

5446

28

13

1990

2012

Per

cen

tage

(%

)

Open defecation rates, selected countries, 1990-2012

100

ND= No data

0 20 40 60 80 100

World

Africa

Southern Africa

Eastern Africa

Northern Africa

Western Africa

Around 1990

Around 2000

Around 2012

Maternal Health in Africa

• Globally, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) declined from 380 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 210 in 2013• In sub-Saharan Africa the MMR was 510 per 100,000 live births in 2013, a 48% decline from 990 in 1990.• Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 62 per cent of all maternal deaths in the world in 2013, largely due to limited access to emergency obstetric

care and insufficient maternal care during pregnancy and delivery.

Africa has the highest number of maternal deaths, despite steady declines since 1990

Antenatal care during pregnancy with skilled health personnel is essential to ensure both mother and baby’s well-being

Improvement in maternal health outcomes requires key interventions:

• A minimum of four visits for antenatal care in order to ensure the well-being of the mother and the baby.

• Assistance from skilled health personnel at delivery.

• Improved access to emergency obstetric care

• Expanded access to information, counseling and supplies for a wide range of contraceptive methods.

• Antiretroviral therapy to all pregnant women who need it.

Source for all charts: UNICEF global databases 2014, based on DHS, MICS, and other national surveys

Skilled delivery care coverage is higher in urban than in rural areas

Skilled attendance at birth

Note: Data coverage was insufficient to calculate regional estimates for Central Africa.

Antenatal care: Women aged 15-49 attended at least once during pregnancy by skilled health personnel (doctor, nurse or midwife), 1990-2012 (%)

Skilled attendance at birth: Births attended by skilled health personnel (doctor, nurse or midwife), 2006-2012 (%)

29

41

61

68

42

54

67

80

8991

80

87

0

20

40

60

80

100

EasternAfrica

WesternAfrica

CentralAfrica

NorthernAfrica

Africa World

Nearly half of babies in Africa are born without assistance from skilled health personnel

Skilled attendance at birth: Births attended by skilled health personnel (doctor, nurse or midwife), African regions by area of residence, 2008-2012 (%)

Note: Data coverage was insufficient to calculate regional estimates for Southern Africa.

>80%60 – 79%40 – 59%<40%Data not available