Children in 2050: A contribution to the UNICEF's State of the World’s Children Report

The 2024 State of the World's Children Report looks ahead to the year 2050 and asks how we can best secure a future in which the rights of every child are realized—a world where all children survive, thrive, and reach their full potential.The report explores three major trends: demographic shifts, the climate crisis, and disruptive technologies. It highlights the need for societies, governments, and the international community to take action to ensure the best outcomes for children and to protect their rights.The report focuses on Africa, emphasizing that investments in children and youth are crucial for sustainable economic growth.

The IIASA POPJUS team, part of the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, including Roman Hoffmann, Nicholas Gailey, and Jonas Peisker, has explored, using scenarios and projections, how the world might look for children in 2050 through the lens of the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). Their research examines key areas such as child survival and life expectancy, socioeconomic development, education, gender equality, conflict, urbanization, and the environment.