The impact of armed conflicts on children around the world reached devastating and likely record levels in 2024, according to a review by UNICEF of the latest available data and prevailing global trends.

More children than ever are estimated to be either living in conflict zones or forcibly displaced due to conflict and violence. A record number of children affected by conflict are having their rights violated, including being killed and injured[1], out of school, missing life-saving vaccines, and being critically malnourished. The number is only expected to grow. Conflict drives approximately 80 per cent of all humanitarian needs around the world[2], disrupting access to essentials, including safe water, food and healthcare.

Over 473 million children—more than one in six globally—now live in areas affected by conflict[3], with the world experiencing the highest number of conflicts since World War II[4]. The percentage of the world’s children living in conflict zones has doubled—from around 10 per cent in the 1990s to almost 19 per cent today.[5]