UNICEF’s latest State of the World’s Children Report examines the forces and trends shaping “our world today and reflects on how” they might shape the future.
The report explores three megatrends that will profoundly impact children’s lives between now and 2050: demographics shifts, the climate and environmental crises and frontier technologies. It also presents three future scenarios – possible outcomes, not predictions – for how children could experience the world of 2050.
“As we consider what we can do today, our responsibility is clear: now is the time to shape a better future for every child,” said UNICEF.
The future of childhood is directly linked to historic demographic shifts underway in “our world today.” The UN agency noted that “we are living longer, having fewer children and moving more frequently.”
It added, that for children, movement and migration can offer benefits through increased safety from conflict and climate crises, as well as improved educational opportunities. But it also carries dangers, including increased risk of exploitation and separation from caregivers.
In 2023, 20.8 million children were newly displaced within their countries, mostly because of conflict and disasters. Amid increasing environmental disruptions, this number is likely to grow. Demographic patterns, and the way they differ across regions, will fundamentally shape children in the future, holding both opportunities and threats for children’s well-being.
In the 2050s, the number of children in the world is predicted to be roughly the same as today: about 2.3 billion. But this stable projection conceals other regional shifts, impacts of an aging population and movement within countries.
Without targeted interventions, it is likely that many more children will reside in high-density urban communities by 2050, where access to water, health care and education is suboptimal and where exposure to violence and environmental hazards will put their well-being at risk.
