Summary

Child poverty and the violation of children’s rights are increasingly urban phenomena. An estimated
billion people live in overcrowded, inadequate housing without basic services or secure tenure.
More than a third are children and adolescents, living in conditions that challenge their rights, wellbeing, and long-term prospects. Yet urban children have surprisingly few global champions, and
can often be overlooked in more general agendas. This briefing provides an introduction to the
status of children in urban areas, focusing on the most marginalised and deprived children and the
range of issues they face, including the impacts of migration, poverty, hunger, conflict, disease and
vulnerability to disaster. But it also highlights the opportunities to manage urbanisation better so
that children and adolescents in cities can survive, learn, contribute and thrive.