A new report by UNICEF highlights strides made toward reducing the number of “invisible” children — those without official birth registration.

According to The Right Start in Life: Global Levels and Trends in Birth Registration, nearly 80% of children under five have been registered at birth in the past five years.

Despite this progress, the report reveals a pressing issue: 150 million children under five are still unregistered, meaning they are excluded from government systems and essential rights.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stressed the importance of addressing the crisis, saying, “stronger efforts to ensure that every child, everywhere, is registered at birth” are urgently needed.

Birth registration is more than just a bureaucratic process. It provides children with legal identity, prevents statelessness, and secures access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and social protection.

However, challenges persist even for children whose births are registered. The report notes that over 50 million of them lack birth certificates, a crucial document needed to prove registration and secure nationality.

Regional Challenges Exacerbate Inequalities

While global birth registration rates have improved — from 75% in 2019 to 77% today — progress has been uneven across regions. Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia lead with less than 30% of children unregistered.

Sub-Saharan Africa, however, faces the most significant challenges. Half of the world’s unregistered children live in this region. Southern Africa reports 88% registration, but Eastern and Middle Africa lag behind at only 41%.

Rapid population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa threatens to worsen the issue. If current trends persist, the number of unregistered children in the region could surpass 100 million by 2030.

Families face numerous barriers in registering their children’s births. Among the most cited are long distances to registration facilities, repeated visits required to complete the process, and a general lack of awareness.

Many families also encounter discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, or religion. High registration fees further complicate access for many.

Despite these challenges, several countries have made significant advances. Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Rwanda are notable examples, of achieving universal or near-universal birth registration. Their success stems from innovative approaches, such as integrating registration into health and education systems, eliminating fees, and adopting digital technologies to streamline processes.

UNICEF’s report emphasizes the need to make birth registration the foundation of legal identity systems. This requires simplifying processes, leveraging health and education programs, and enacting laws to ensure inclusive and equitable access for all children.

The agency also highlights the importance of empowering communities to recognize birth registration as a fundamental right.

“Birth registration ensures children are immediately recognized under the law, providing a foundation for protection from harm and exploitation, as well as access to essential services like vaccines, healthcare, and education.”
Catherine Russell

While progress has been made, much work remains to ensure all children receive legal recognition at birth. UNICEF’s findings underscore the urgency of a coordinated global effort to close the gap and safeguard the rights of every child worldwide.