The State of the World’s Children 2019

Children, food and nutrition: Growing well in a changing world

Wayuú families receiving education on behavioral practices through the UNICEF-supported program "Seres de Cuidado", where health services and civil registry are also provided, in the community of Uribia, Colombia.
UNICEF/UN0321726/Mejía

Highlights

For the first time in 20 years, UNICEF’s flagship report examines the issue of children, food and nutrition, providing a fresh perspective on a rapidly evolving challenge.

This 2019 edition of The State of the World’s Children (SOWC) examines the issue of children, food and nutrition, providing a fresh perspective on a rapidly evolving challenge. Despite progress in the past two decades, one third of children under age 5 are malnourished – stunted, wasted or overweight – while two thirds are at risk of malnutrition and hidden hunger because of the poor quality of their diets. At the center of this challenge is a broken food system that fails to provide children with the diets they need to grow healthy. This report also provides new data and analyses of malnutrition in the 21st century and outlines recommendations to put children’s rights at the heart of food systems.

Executive summary

The report's executive summary, also available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic for download on this page, summarizes the report’s findings and asks key stakeholders to put children first, at the centre of the world’s food and nutrition challenge.

Regional briefs

The State of the World’s Children report's accompanying regional briefs, available for download here, set out regional data, key messages, a case study and policy recommendations.

Focus group research

View Feeding My Child: How mothers experience nutrition across the world and Food and Me: How adolescents experience nutrition across the world.

Interactive web feature

Click here to explore the special web feature, “The changing face of malnutrition”.

 

Please contact: pubdoc@unicef.org

SOWC 2019 cover
Author(s)
UNICEF
Publication date
Languages
English, French, Spanish, Arabic
ISBN
978-92-806-5003-7