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Children campaigning for cleaner air in Hackney, east London
Children campaigning for cleaner air in Hackney, east London. More than 70% of young people surveyed in the UK said they feel their opinions do not make a difference. Photograph: Kristian Buus
Children campaigning for cleaner air in Hackney, east London. More than 70% of young people surveyed in the UK said they feel their opinions do not make a difference. Photograph: Kristian Buus

Children in the UK feel more disempowered than those in India

This article is more than 6 years old

Unicef says young people feel their voices are unheard on global issues, as study finds prospects for 180 million worldwide bleaker than those of their parents

A poll of children from 14 countries reveals how deeply worried they are about terrorism, poverty and poor education, and how mistrustful of adults and leaders in making good decisions for them.

Children in Britain and South Africa feel the most disenfranchised when it comes to decisions made that affect them, while those in India feel the most empowered, according to the Unicef survey. Analysis by the UN agency, released on Monday, also found that despite global progress, one in 12 children – or 180 million worldwide – still live in countries where their futures look bleaker than those of their parents.

Millions of children in 37 countries are more likely to live in extreme poverty, be out of school, or to suffer a violent death than young people living in those nations 20 years ago: a situation Unicef said was “perverse”.

“While the last generation has seen vast, unprecedented gains in living standards for most of the world’s children, the fact that a forgotten minority of children have been excluded from this – through no fault of their own or those of their families – is a travesty,” said Laurence Chandy, director of data, research and policy at the children’s agency.

“In a time of rapid technological change leading to huge gains in living standards, it is perverse that hundreds of millions are seeing living standards actually decline, creating a sense of injustice among them and failure among those entrusted with their care,” said Chandy. “No wonder they feel their voices are unheard and their futures uncertain.”

A separate poll of children aged 9-18 showed they are deeply concerned about global issues affecting them and their peers. Children in Mexico, Brazil and Turkey were most likely to worry about unfair treatment of refugee and migrant children, the poll found.

Half of the 11,000 children surveyed reported feeling disenfranchised about decisions made that affect children around the world. In South Africa and the UK, 73% and 71% of all children respectively said that their opinions do not make a difference. About 52% of children in India, however, believe that their views count.

Nearly half of the children reported a lack of trust in their adults and world leaders to make good decisions for children. Mistrust was the highest in Brazil, where 81% of children did not trust their adults and world leaders, followed by South Africa at 69%. Children in India had the most confidence in their leaders, with only 30% feeling apprehension. The 14 countries also included Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Egypt and the US.

The research was carried out for World Children’s Day, which marks the anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The survey also found that:

  • Violent deaths among children below the age of 19 have increased in seven countries, all experiencing conflicts: Central African Republic, Libya, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.
  • The share of people living on less than $1.90 (£1.60) a day has increased in 14 countries, including Benin, Cameroon, Madagascar, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
  • Primary school enrolment has declined in 21 countries, including Syria and Tanzania, due to factors including financial crises, rapid population growth and the impact of conflicts.

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