As each year begins, UNICEF evaluates the impending challenges for children and outlines strategies to mitigate potential harm. The latest report, Prospects for Children 2025: Building Resilient Systems for Children’s Futures, emphasizes the urgent need to strengthen national systems to shield children from crises and ensure they receive the necessary support.

By 2025, the intensifying nature of armed conflict will remain a grave threat to children. Over 473 million children, representing more than one in six globally, now reside in conflict-affected areas — the highest number since World War II. The percentage of children living in these zones has surged from 10% in the 1990s to nearly 19% today.

The rise in geopolitical tensions and the erosion of multilateral institutions have led both state and non-state actors to increasingly disregard international laws that safeguard civilians. Attacks on critical infrastructure like schools and hospitals are now common, reversing decades of progress in civilian protection.

This breakdown is having a devastating impact on children, endangering their lives and exposing them to displacement, hunger, disease, and psychological trauma. The multilateral system’s failure to effectively respond highlights the need for a robust, sustained effort to reclaim the progress lost in recent years.

youth advocate — Youth advocates at the 2023 G20 meeting

The Financial System Not Working

Developing countries are grappling with funding key investments for children due to sluggish economic growth, rising debt, and insufficient tax revenues and development aid.

“Governments across the world are finding it increasingly difficult to fund key investments in children. This pressure reflects several factors, including persistent inflation effects, faltering development assistance, and the long-running issue of low revenues from domestic taxation.”
Prospects for Children 2025 Report

Nearly 400 million children live in nations facing debt distress, and without significant reforms, this number will likely grow.

The mounting burden of sovereign debt is stifling essential investments for children, as the cost of servicing this debt continues to rise. In 2025, crucial decisions must be made to reform the global financial system’s institutions, policies, and practices to prioritize children’s needs.

“As we enter 2025, the global financial system faces crucial decisions about reforms to the international financial architecture (IFA) – the framework of institutions, policies, rules, and practices that govern the global financial system. The Fourth Financing for Development Conference in Seville in June 2025 will be a pivotal moment to address these challenges, coinciding with the implementation review of the Summit of the Future commitments.”
Prospects for Children 2025 Report

Children are disproportionately affected by climate change, with impacts on their development, health, education, and overall well-being that can be lifelong and irreversible. The year 2025 offers critical opportunities to advance global climate goals through comprehensive policymaking, equitable financing, strong regulatory frameworks, and effective monitoring systems.

Moreover, rapid advancements in digital technologies are set to reshape children’s lives in 2025 and beyond, influencing education, communication, and participation in the digital economy. A significant trend is the emergence of digital public infrastructure (DPI), which enables equitable access to services and is being swiftly adopted worldwide.

DPI has the potential to revolutionize how governments engage with citizens, including children, fostering development, inclusion, trust, innovation, and human rights. However, persistent digital access inequalities, especially in least-developed countries, pose significant barriers. Ensuring data harmonization and robust data protection and security are also pressing challenges.

Also, new and ongoing crises will continue to test the resilience of global governance frameworks. In 2025, the critical question is whether the global multilateral system will unify to confront shared challenges or further fragment, risking a decline in collective action.

The path taken will significantly influence efforts to protect children’s rights and well-being globally. The report underscores the necessity of cohesive and anticipatory governance to safeguard future generations.

The authors of the UNICEF report conclude that adopting systems to enhance children’s lives and prospects is paramount. These systems must prioritize inclusion, equity, and accountability, ensuring that children’s rights and needs remain central. Moreover, they must not only address current challenges but also prepare for future ones, laying the groundwork for resilient societies.