This 2019 edition of The State of the World’s Children (SOWC) examines the issue of children, food and nutrition, providing a fresh perspective on a rapidly evolving challenge. Despite progress in the past two decades, one third of children under age 5 are malnourished – stunted, wasted or overweight – while two thirds are at risk of malnutrition and hidden hunger because of the poor quality of their diets. At the center of this challenge is a broken food system that fails to provide children with the diets they need to grow healthy. This report also provides new data and analyses of malnutrition in the 21st century and outlines recommendations to put children’s rights at the heart of food systems.
Executive summary
The report’s executive summary, also available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic for download on this page, summarizes the report’s findings and asks key stakeholders to put children first, at the centre of the world’s food and nutrition challenge.
Regional briefs
The State of the World’s Children report’s accompanying regional briefs, available for download here, set out regional data, key messages, a case study and policy recommendations.
Interactive web feature
Click here to explore the special web feature, “The changing face of malnutrition”.