New report reveals burden of multidimensional poverty for children in Mozambique

In June 2020, the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Mozambique and the UNICEF Mozambique Country Office published the report Multidimensional Child Poverty in Mozambique, drawing on research produced by and with UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti and UNU-WIDER. The contributions from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and UNU-WIDER benefitted from research inputs from the Inclusive growth in Mozambique programme.

The report outlines the level of poverty and deprivation among Mozambican children (ages 0−17), based on a multidimensional poverty analysis, a child-centred approach that identifies the scale and severity of deprivations in key areas of child wellbeing. The analysis applies a life-cycle perspective which highlights the needs and problems related to each stage of childhood.

Out of 14 million children, nearly 10 million across the country experience poverty in one form or another. Almost one in two Mozambican children can be considered multidimensionally poor.

The findings of the analysis are used to identify priority areas for policy action to address child poverty in all its forms within the next National Five-year Plan (Plano Quinquenal do Governo) as well as in the context of Mozambique’s national commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals.

The report and its summary are available in Portuguese and English on the website of UNICEF in Mozambique.