Africa’s Youngest Left Behind: UNICEF Study Exposes Stark Gaps in Early Childhood Investment
Source: UNICEF
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A recent landmark report by UNICEF and the Learning for Well-being Institute has shed light on a glaring disparity in social spending across Africa: governments are investing 16 times more in older children than they are in the youngest ones.The study underscores the urgent need to rebalance public investment towards early childhood development if Africa is to build the strong human capital foundations necessary for sustainable growth.
A Skewed Investment Landscape
According to the report, only 6.5% of key social spending in African countries is allocated to children aged 0–5 years, compared to 55% for those aged 12–17. By contrast, G20 countries allocate around 28% of their child-focused social spending to the youngest age group — more than four times Africa’s average (UNICEF, 2024).
This imbalance is not just a policy oversight — it’s a missed opportunity. Research, including the Nobel-winning economist James Heckman’s work, has shown that early childhood investments yield the highest return of any human capital development — between 10% and 14% per year (Heckman, 2017). These years are critical for brain development, emotional growth, and long-term health.
Long-Term Consequences
The consequences of neglecting early investment are already visible. Across regions like the Sahel, 6.9 million children under five are suffering from acute malnutrition, and 1.4 million face death due to severe wasting, according to UNICEF. These staggering figures highlight the impact of underinvestment — made worse by climate change, political instability, and global economic shocks (Le Monde, 2024).
The World Bank has also reported that better-nourished children can earn up to 50% more income as adults compared to their malnourished peers (World Bank, 2016). This makes early interventions not just a moral imperative, but an economic one as well.
Why the Disparity Persists
According to UNICEF’s East and Southern Africa Regional Director, Etleva Kadilli, much of the current social spending goes towards children in formal education or job training, while early care — including health, nutrition, preschool, and cash support for families — is underfunded or overlooked entirely. “We are now very clearly seeing that spending in Africa is significantly skewed toward older ages,” Kadilli said. “This gap must be filled if we are to realize the potential of Africa’s growing child population” (UNICEF, 2024).
Part of the problem is data. Few African countries track social spending by age in detail, making it harder for governments to understand the full picture and make informed policy decisions. The UNICEF report calls for more transparent budgeting and cross-sector collaboration to ensure that children’s needs are met from the prenatal stage through adolescence.
A Call to Action
With two-thirds of Africa’s population under the age of 25, the continent is poised for a demographic dividend — but only if it makes the right investments today. UNICEF is urging governments to reallocate resources toward early childhood programs and ensure that every child has a fair start in life.
Dominic Richardson of the Learning for Well-being Institute emphasized the importance of taking a life-course approach to child policy: “Knowing where the money is going empowers governments to make evidence-informed decisions,” he said. “And we know from the evidence that the biggest impact comes from investing early.”
Conclusion
The latest findings from UNICEF and the Learning for Well-being Institute serve as a wake-up call. For Africa to harness its youth as an engine of growth, it must begin with its youngest — not ignore them. Redirecting social spending toward the earliest years of life is not just smart economics, but a foundational step toward a healthier, more equitable future for the continent.
