Zambia

Children in Zambia continue to face severe and interconnected challenges that undermine their rights and wellbeing. Over 70 percent of children experience multidimensional poverty, and about 65 percent live in monetary poverty, limiting access to essential services. Public debt and climate change have further weakened household resilience and constrained investment in child-focused social sectors (UNICEF, 2024; Zambia Statistics Agency, 2022).

Child health and nutrition outcomes remain fragile, with under-five mortality at 42 per 1,000 live births and 32 percent of children under five stunted, reflecting persistent gaps in service delivery and food security (Zambia Demographic and Health Survey, 2024).

Learning outcomes are critically low. National learning poverty stands at 98.5 percent for children under the age of 10 (World Bank, 2022). Only 4 percent of Grade 2 learners can read at grade level, while over 75 percent of Grade 5 learners fail to meet minimum reading proficiency standards (USAID, 2021; Examinations Council of Zambia, 2022). Access to early childhood education remains limited, with only 50.9 percent of Grade 1 entrants having ECE experience in 2024, despite progress from 2021, amid very low public investment in ECE at just 0.1 percent (Ministry of Education, 2024).

Violence against children remains widespread, often occurring within the home and perpetrated by known individuals. Weak and fragmented child protection systems, combined with low birth registration, at only 14 percent, continue to limit children’s access to protection and essential services (Zambia VACS, 2018; UNICEF, 2024). Despite the enactment of the Children’s Code Act, implementation gaps and limited child participation in governance persist, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen accountability and child protection systems in the face of growing climate and digital risks (UNICEF, 2024).